‘Ramayana: Rise of a Legend’, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, is set to reach audiences beyond cinemas. On October 22, after concluding their final leg of promotions before the big Diwali release, the makers announced a pay-per-view streaming offering.
‘Ramayana’ to make digital debut with ‘pay per screening’ option
As per the production house’s statement, the move is aimed at making the epic’s cinematic retelling accessible to viewers across India who may not have access to theatres. Namit Malhotra, producer, filmmaker, founder and CEO of DNEG said in the statement, “I believe Ramayana should be experienced on the biggest screen possible, in IMAX 3D. But our country’s cinema infrastructure cannot reach everyone who holds this epic close. Ramayana belongs to every Indian, and our ambition must reflect that.”On revealing the film’s official OTT platform as JioHotstar, Malhotra revealed that JioHotstar “has time and again shown how technology can bring a nation together through its sports and entertainment offering. That made them a natural partner to take Ramayana into people’s hands and living rooms, after its theatrical run.”Under the proposed digital distribution model, viewers in India would be able to purchase access to the film separately on JioHotstar after its theatrical window, rather than watch it as part of a conventional OTT subscription. The pay-per-view model could allow the platform to generate revenue directly from individual purchases, although the pricing and other details have not been announced.
Star-studded cast and release date
‘Ramayana: Part One’ stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The ensemble cast also includes Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor and Kajal Aggarwal, among others.The film’s music, featuring Oscar-winning composers A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer, has also contributed to the anticipation surrounding the project.The film will release worldwide in cinemas on November 5, 2026, coinciding with Diwali, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English. It will also be released in IMAX 3D.