Ramayana Part 2 moves to 2028, Part 1 eyes Rs 100 crore opening

Part 2 moves from Diwali 2027 to 2028

A day before Ramayana: Rise of a Legend reaches theatres, the sequel’s timeline has changed. Producer Namit Malhotra confirmed that Ramayana: Part 2, earlier expected for Diwali 2027, will now arrive in 2028.

The first film, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, stars Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. Early ticket momentum has been strong: box office trackers put the opening-weekend estimate at around Rs 100 crore from advance bookings.

Why the makers want an extra year

Malhotra positioned the postponement as a scale decision, not a production stumble. “That extra year, I think, is what I genuinely believe we need to do justice to a film of this size,” he told E! News, adding that the team did not want to deliver a rushed finale.

The wait also reflects a more complicated release plan. The production has created two master versions, Hindi and English, with a separate edit and a rewrite of the original Hindi script. That gives the first part itself two different runtimes, and the team is still assessing how audiences respond to each version.

Where Part 1 ends, and what Part 2 will carry

Malhotra shared the broad story structure while discussing the sequel. Part 1 follows a young Ram who is chosen as an avatar of the god Vishnu to defeat Yash’s Ravana. Sita’s abduction and the central conflict with Ravana are held for Part 2, which follows Ram’s journey to find Sita.

Early screenings have already stirred conversation. Viewers have praised the action, emotional moments—particularly the Jatayu battle—and the performances, though some have pointed to action choreography and CGI concerns in the English version.

A trilogy is back on the table

The project was originally imagined as three films before being condensed to two. Malhotra says a Part 3 is not ruled out. After the first two instalments are released, the team may sit down again and decide what to add or subtract based on audience feedback.

Long gaps between chapters are common in event cinema, and the extra year gives the sequel room to expand its scale. It also raises the stakes for the first film, which now has to leave audiences wanting more without resolving the main conflict.

What is locked for Part 1

• Release date: November 5, with a 195-minute runtime.
• Certification: U in India without cuts, PG-13 in the US.
• Release format: worldwide IMAX in Hindi and English.
• Reported budget: Rs 4,000 crore.
• Opening-weekend estimate: around Rs 100 crore.

For fans, the plan is clear: watch Part 1 now, compare the two versions, and the rest of the saga depends on how the world responds.

Source: The Times of India