Ramayana: Rise of a Legend to stream on JioHotstar pay-per-view
After its 5 November Diwali release, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend will be a pay-per-view purchase on JioHotstar, not a regular subscription.
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend has locked a home-viewing plan that breaks from the usual streaming template. On 22 October, the team behind Nitesh Tiwari’s Diwali epic announced that the film will make its digital debut on JioHotstar as a pay-per-view title after its theatrical run.
A one-time purchase, not a subscription
Instead of arriving as part of a regular JioHotstar subscription, the film will be offered as a separate purchase in India once its cinema window ends. That means viewers who want to watch at home will pay for access to the film itself, a model the production says is designed to widen reach rather than lock it behind a monthly plan.
What that price will be, and exactly when the digital window opens, has not been announced yet.
Why the makers chose this route
Producer Namit Malhotra, founder and CEO of DNEG, framed the decision as an access issue. He said the film should be seen on “the biggest screen possible, in IMAX 3D,” but India’s cinema infrastructure cannot reach everyone. His wider point, from the production’s statement, was that “Ramayana belongs to every Indian, and our ambition must reflect that.”
JioHotstar was named as the platform partner. Malhotra pointed to its record of using technology to bring large audiences together through sports and entertainment as the reason it was chosen.
The Diwali package viewers are waiting for
The scale of the film is part of why a pay-per-view experiment is being watched closely. Ramayana: Part One, also being positioned as Rise of a Legend, opens worldwide on 5 November 2026, timed to Diwali. It will release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, and in IMAX 3D.
The cast is a key talking point:
- Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama
- Sai Pallavi as Sita
- Yash as Ravana
- Sunny Deol as Hanuman
- Ravie Dubey as Lakshman
The ensemble also includes Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor and Kajal Aggarwal. Music by A. R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer adds to the anticipation.
Why this matters for filmi fans
A pay-per-view window for a big Hindi release is not the default move. It gives the platform a direct revenue line from each purchase, but it also asks audiences to pay for a single title instead of relying on the subscription they already have. For fans, the real questions are price and timing: will the digital option arrive quickly after cinemas, and will it feel worth paying for when IMAX 3D is being called the definitive way to watch?
Until pricing details are shared, the practical plan is simple: if you want the full scale, catch it in cinemas, especially IMAX 3D. If you prefer home viewing, wait for JioHotstar to announce the pay-per-view cost before deciding.
Source: The Times of India
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