The countdown to Ramayana: Part 1 has officially begun, and the makers are leaving no stone unturned in their promotional blitz. Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi are set to film a special episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 18 on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Film City, Mumbai — with none other than Amitabh Bachchan hosting the festivities. The episode, recorded just weeks before the film’s worldwide release on November 5, 2026, will see the stars discuss playing Lord Rama and Mata Sita and the production vision of director Nitesh Tiwari. When Indian cinema’s biggest screen spectacle meets television’s most-watched quiz show, the result is appointment viewing.
The KBC 18 special is the latest in a series of high-decibel promotional moves. On October 16, the makers unveiled striking new character posters — Ranbir Kapoor as Rama holding the celestial bow, and Yash in a menacing turn as Ravana, depicted amid fallen warriors. The posters signal the scale of the project: a faithful, larger-than-life retelling of the epic that has been years in the making under producer Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios, alongside DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations.
The international push has also gathered steam. On October 15, at an event in Bengaluru, the team unveiled a second international trailer of approximately 2.5 minutes, focused sharply on the Rama-Ravana conflict. The trailer was released digitally in six languages — English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam — underlining the film’s pan-India and global ambitions. The plan, reportedly, is staggering: a release across roughly 9,000 screens in India and some 50,000 internationally, with Sony Pictures Releasing handling overseas distribution and Dharma Productions managing the domestic Hindi belt. Dubs are planned in 40 to 45 languages.
Perhaps the most telling sign of the film’s commercial readiness came this week: the Central Board of Film Certification has cleared a 2-minute-26-second 3D trailer for Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, which will begin playing in cinemas from next week ahead of the November 5 release. The trailer certification suggests the final print is nearly locked and the marketing machinery is shifting into theatrical gear. For audiences, it means the epic will unfold in full 3D splendour on the big screen.
The ensemble reads like a who’s who of Indian cinema. Ranbir Kapoor leads as Lord Rama, Yash plays King Ravana, and Sai Pallavi brings grace to Sita. Supporting them are Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha. Music comes from A.R. Rahman, with Nitesh Tiwari — the filmmaker behind Dangal and Chhichhore — steering this mammoth production. Part 2 of the two-part saga is already slated for Diwali 2027.
The film has also secured a US MPA rating of PG-13, with a reported runtime of about 3 hours and 15 minutes — epic length for an epic story. Everything about Ramayana’s launch has been measured and deliberate: a steady drumbeat of posters, multilingual trailers, an international showcase and now television’s biggest stage. The KBC 18 episode, filming today, will be the most personal glimpse yet into the making of the film, with Bachchan’s presence adding gravitas to the occasion. If the promotions are any indication, November 5 cannot come soon enough for Indian cinema’s biggest gamble — and possibly its biggest triumph.
