After launching the ‘Ramayana‘ first glimpse of ‘Rama’ at an event in Los Angeles, Nitesh Tiwari, Ranbir Kapoor and producer Namit Malhotra headed to New York City for the second screening. Much like the LA event, the director and actor of the upcoming epic sat down for a candid chat, where they discussed the film, casting, message and more.
Nitesh Tiwari on casting Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram
In a video from the event, director Tiwari can be seen talking about his decision to cast Kapoor as Lord Rama, and entrusting him to bring the character to life on screen. Speaking at the event, Tiwari said, “Lord Ram was a man of few words. His love was unbound. His pain could not be seen but it could be felt. His courage needed a lot of physicality. This role was really demanding and so we felt that there was nobody better than Ranbir Kapoor to portray all these things and manage the expectations of a billion people.“
Nitesh Tiwari on not modernising ‘Ramayana’
Director Tiwari was also asked in the Q and A round, why he chose not to attempt to modernise the ancient epic and stay faithful to the original and its core value system. Nitesh explained, “I would not say that we made a concious effort to make it into a modern tale or something. The essence of ‘Ramayana’ lies in the values which it holds. Those values are universal and timeless… I do not need to modernise it anyway.”He added, “What has happened is the world has forgotten those values, it’s time we remind them and maybe a film like this will make the world a better place.”
About ‘Ramayana’ first glimpse
With Ranbir Kapoor stepping into the role of Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as the formidable Ravana, Sunny Deol as the mighty Hanuman, and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, ‘Ramayana’ is one of the most awaited films of 2026. While the first glimpse has been released to a select audience in the US, fans in India and around the world will see the clip on April 2, producer Namit announced in a social media post.‘Ramayana’ will release in cinemas on Diwali 2026.
