Before you buy a ticket for Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, there are four practical questions to settle: what the trailers actually showed, how long the film runs, what its ratings mean, and which format is worth paying for. The answers are not the same in every country. The Indian cut runs three hours and fifteen minutes; the international English cut is reported to run about half an hour shorter. India certified the film U, for all ages; the United States rated it PG-13 for strong violence and bloody images. And the film was shot for IMAX, which means the biggest screen in your city is not just a luxury option — it is the format the film was made for. This guide brings all of it together, with the facts as reported and verified, so you can choose your screening with confidence.
The short version is this. Ramayana: Part 1 opened worldwide on 5 November 2026 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with an English version for international audiences. The Hindi cut runs 195 minutes, certified U by the Central Board of Film Certification with no cuts. The US version, titled Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association and runs a reported 165 minutes. The film plays in IMAX 3D, Dolby Cinema, RealD 3D, 4DX, ScreenX and standard 2D. And the trailer campaign that brought it here ran for more than a year, from a first glimpse in July 2025 to a grand international trailer launch in Bengaluru in October 2026.
The Trailers: A Year-Long Campaign in Four Waves
The first thing audiences ever saw of Ramayana arrived on 3 July 2025, when the makers released the film’s first glimpse. It was a short, carefully staged reveal rather than a full trailer: a look at the world, the scale and the tone, released alongside the Introduction theme from the film’s score. The glimpse did what a first look is supposed to do — it told audiences that this was a Ramayana built on a scale Indian cinema had never attempted, and it gave them a year to wait for more.
The second wave came in April 2026, with the teaser and the Rama Theme — the orchestral theme composed jointly by A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer that became the film’s musical identity. The teaser gave audiences their first proper listen to how the two composers’ styles come together, and it attached the film’s sound to its images for the first time. By then the campaign had a rhythm: each release gave audiences a new piece of the film to carry into the next one.
The first full trailer arrived on 30 July 2026, released at 4:15 am IST — Brahma Muhurat, the sacred hour before dawn, a timing choice that was itself a statement about the film’s subject. It went out in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, and it introduced the principal characters and the visual approach in full: Ranbir Kapoor’s Rama, Yash’s Ravana, Sai Pallavi’s Sita, the golden city of Lanka, the forest, and the scale of the world the film had built. A Trailer Theme followed in August 2026, extending the music campaign that had begun with the Introduction theme more than a year earlier.
The final wave was the international trailer, unveiled at a grand event in Bengaluru on 15 October 2026. Hosted by Prime Focus Studios and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, the launch brought together Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Ravi Dubey, A.R. Rahman, Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra on one stage. The international trailer, titled Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, was released in six languages including English, and it gave international audiences their most expansive look at the film — the battle between good and evil, the contrast between Rama’s world and Ravana’s golden Lanka, and the scale of the production. Sony Pictures, which handles the film’s release outside India, accompanied the launch with a declaration that the film would play “exclusively in theatres, IMAX and Premium Large Formats worldwide”. The trailer itself was certified U by the CBFC, and its listed length is reported at 2 minutes 26 seconds.
What the Trailers Show — and What They Hold Back
Across the four waves, the trailers reveal a clear design. The film opens with Ravana’s rise — his penance, the boon he wins from Brahma, his defeat of Indra and his takeover of Lanka — before Rama even appears. That is the story the trailers lead with, and it is a deliberate choice: the villain is introduced before the hero, and his kingdom is established as a real place before the story moves to Ayodhya. Our guide to Yash as Ravana covers the character at the centre of that opening, and why the actor also produces the film.
The trailers also show the shape of Part 1 as a whole. The film covers Rama’s early life, his marriage to Sita, the beginning of the exile, and builds towards Sita’s abduction — the event the whole first film is constructed around, and the cliffhanger on which it ends. What the trailers do not show is the ending itself. Tiwari has said Part 1 ends on a cliffhanger, and the trailers respect that: they show the abduction approaching, but they do not resolve it. For the full breakdown of what Part 1 covers and where it stops, see our guide to the Part 1 story.
One more thing the trailers establish is the film’s visual language. The golden city of Lanka, the forest of Panchavati, the armies and the gods — all of it is built at a scale that is meant to fill a cinema screen. That is not an accident of marketing. It is the reason the film was shot the way it was, and it is the reason the choice of format matters as much as the choice of seat.
Runtime: 3 Hours 15 Minutes in India, Shorter Overseas
The question most ticket buyers ask first is the simplest: how long is it? The answer depends on which cut you see.
The Hindi version of Ramayana: Part 1 runs 195 minutes — 3 hours and 15 minutes. That figure comes from the film’s CBFC certificate, issued on 30 October 2026, which cleared the Hindi cut with a U certificate and no cuts. Trade journalist Taran Adarsh reported the certified duration as 195 minutes exactly, and the figure has been confirmed across trade coverage. At three hours and fifteen minutes, Part 1 is a long film by any standard — and it is only the first half of the story. Part 2, planned for Diwali 2027, will carry the story to the war in Lanka.
The international English cut is shorter. Cinema listings and trade reports put the English-language version, released overseas as Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, at about 165 minutes — 2 hours and 45 minutes — with some listings reporting 167 minutes. The shorter cut is reported to trim the song sequences for global theatrical markets while keeping the action and the story intact. The makers have not officially confirmed every difference between the two cuts, so the exact overseas runtime should be checked against your own cinema’s listing before you book. But the shape of it is clear: Indian audiences get the full 195-minute cut with its songs; international audiences get a tighter version built for viewers who may be meeting the epic for the first time.
What does 195 minutes mean in practice? Plan for a full evening. With trailers and an interval, a Hindi screening runs close to three and a half hours from the time the lights go down to the time they come up. That is a commitment, and it is worth knowing before you book — especially if you are taking children, or booking a late show. The film earns its length: it has to introduce two worlds, a dozen major characters and the first half of an epic. But it is not a film to walk into casually.
Ratings: U in India, PG-13 in the US, 12A in the UK
Ramayana carries three different ratings in its three biggest markets, and they tell three different stories about the same film.
In India, the CBFC certified the Hindi cut U — universal, suitable for all ages — with no cuts, on 30 October 2026. That is the most permissive rating the Indian system gives, and it means the film passed certification without a single frame being removed. For Indian families, the U certificate is a clear signal: children of any age can watch, and the film’s violence is presented within the bounds the board considers suitable for everyone.
In the United States, the Motion Picture Association rated the film PG-13, for “sequences of strong violence and action and some bloody images”. The rating applies to the English-language version, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. Under the American system, PG-13 means some material may be inappropriate for children under 13, and parents are strongly cautioned. It is an advisory rating rather than a legally binding one in most US jurisdictions, but it is a meaningful signal about the film’s tone: the battle scenes, the demon encounters and the aerial fights contain intense combat, and the MPA’s notes specifically flag bloody images.
In the United Kingdom, the BBFC rated the film 12A on 23 October 2026. A 12A rating means children under 12 may watch only if accompanied by an adult. It sits between the Indian and American positions: more restrictive than India’s U, broadly in line with the American PG-13.
Why do the same film’s ratings differ so much? The ratings boards are measuring different things. India’s CBFC evaluates the film through a cultural lens in which the Ramayana is a story every child grows up with — a sacred epic, not a violent action film. The American MPA evaluates the images on screen — the combat, the blood, the scale of the battle sequences — without that cultural context. Neither board is wrong; they are answering different questions. For parents, the practical advice is simple: in India, the U certificate says the film is suitable for all ages; in the US and UK, the PG-13 and 12A ratings say to use your judgement with younger children, and to expect intense battle scenes.
IMAX: The Format the Film Was Shot For
The single most important fact about Ramayana’s formats is that the film was shot for IMAX. It is part of IMAX’s “Filmed for IMAX” programme, shot on IMAX-certified large-format digital cameras by cinematographers Pankaj Kumar and Mahesh Limaye, with visual effects and 3D work by DNEG — the Oscar-winning studio led by producer Namit Malhotra, whose credits include Dune and Blade Runner 2049. The makers have not named the exact camera model, but the programme itself is the point: this is not a film converted to IMAX after the fact. It was conceived, shot and finished for the format.
What does that mean on screen? In a standard cinema, the film plays in 2.39:1 scope — the wide, letterboxed frame most films use. In a digital IMAX cinema, the image opens up to a 1.90:1 aspect ratio, which shows up to 26 percent more picture. The frame literally gets taller: more sky above Lanka, more forest around Rama, more of the world in every shot. In select laser IMAX venues, a 1.43:1 ratio has been reported for some scenes, filling the full height of the tallest IMAX screens. And the sound is IMAX’s 12-channel system, built for the scale of the film’s score — the orchestral themes composed jointly by A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer, which our guide to the music covers in full.
There is also a dedicated IMAX trailer, released under the “Filmed for IMAX” banner, which shows the film in the expanded frame. If you have never seen a Filmed for IMAX release, the difference is not subtle: the image expands and contracts as the film moves between standard and IMAX sequences, and the expanded passages — the golden city, the armies, the gods — fill the screen in a way no standard presentation can match.
3D, Dolby Cinema, 4DX and ScreenX: The Full Format List
IMAX is the headline format, but it is not the only premium option. Ramayana released in the widest range of formats of any Indian film, and each one offers something different.
IMAX 3D with Laser. The flagship presentation: dual 4K laser projection, the expanded 1.90:1 frame, and stereoscopic 3D graded by DNEG. This is the format the makers promote first, and the one Sony Pictures names in its release announcements. If you can get to an IMAX screen, this is the version to choose.
Dolby Cinema 3D. Dolby Vision high dynamic range with Dolby Atmos sound. Where IMAX wins on scale, Dolby Cinema wins on contrast and colour: the deep blacks of the forest at night, the gold of Lanka at dawn, the detail in the costumes. For viewers who care most about image quality rather than screen size, Dolby Cinema is the strongest alternative.
RealD 3D and standard 3D. The film’s 3D was built natively, with DNEG handling the stereoscopic depth grading, rather than converted from a 2D image after the fact. That matters: native 3D has a depth and solidity that post-conversion often lacks, and it is most visible in the film’s large-scale sequences — the armies, the flying sequences, the architecture of Lanka.
4DX. Motion seats, wind, water and scent effects synchronised to the action. The format suits a film built around battle and flight, but it is the most distracting of the premium options — the seats move, the air blows, and the spectacle can overwhelm the story. It is a fun choice for a second viewing, not the best choice for a first one.
ScreenX. A 270-degree panoramic format that extends the image onto the side walls of the auditorium. Ramayana is reported to be the first Indian film released in ScreenX worldwide, through CJ 4DPLEX. The side screens carry the edges of the image — the sky, the landscape, the crowds — so the world of the film surrounds you. It is the most immersive of the formats, and the least widely available.
Standard 2D. The film plays in ordinary 2D in every cinema, in all five Indian languages and in English. Nothing about the story is lost in 2D — the film was made to work in every format — but the scale that defines it is at its fullest on the largest screen.
Which Format Should You Choose?
The honest answer depends on what you value most, and on what is available near you. If you have an IMAX screen within reach, choose IMAX 3D: the film was shot for it, the frame expands for it, and the score was mixed for it. If your nearest premium screen is Dolby Cinema, choose that — the image quality is superb, and the Atmos sound does justice to the Rahman-Zimmer score. If neither is available, a good RealD 3D screening is a strong third choice, because the native 3D adds real depth to the film’s spectacle. And if you are choosing between a distant premium screen and a nearby standard one, take the nearby one: a three-hour-fifteen-minute film is best watched comfortably, and the story works in every format.
Two practical notes. First, check which cut your cinema is showing. In India, the Hindi cut is 195 minutes; the Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam versions are the same film dubbed, and their runtimes have not been separately reported in the certification coverage — the CBFC certificate reported so far covers the Hindi cut. Overseas, the English cut is the shorter version. If the runtime on your ticket is around 165 minutes, you are seeing the international cut; if it is 195, you are seeing the full Indian cut. Second, book early for premium formats. IMAX and Dolby screens have limited seats, and the film’s advance booking — which opened in India on Dussehra, 20 October 2026, and in the US through chains like AMC — has been strong. Premium seats for opening weekend go first.
Where and When to Watch
Ramayana: Part 1 opened worldwide on 5 November 2026, with paid previews in North America on 4 November. It plays in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam in India, with an English version for international audiences and a Mandarin version reported for overseas markets. Sony Pictures handles international distribution, while Dharma Productions oversees the Hindi-speaking market in India. The film had its world premiere at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles on 27 October 2026.
The film is a theatrical exclusive: it plays only in cinemas, in IMAX and premium large formats. There is no streaming announcement yet, and no official word on when or where it will appear after its cinema run. For a film built at this scale, that is the point — it was made to be seen on the biggest screen available, with an audience, in the dark. Part 2, which will carry the story from the search for Sita to the war in Lanka, is planned for Diwali 2027.
If you go, go prepared: three hours and fifteen minutes, a story you probably already know, told at a scale you have never seen it at. Choose the biggest screen you can reach, arrive before the trailers, and stay for the whole of it. The cliffhanger at the end is the reason Part 2 exists — and the reason the first film ends the way it does.
FAQs
How long is Ramayana Part 1?
The Hindi cut of Ramayana: Part 1 runs 195 minutes, or 3 hours and 15 minutes, as certified by the CBFC on 30 October 2026 with a U certificate and no cuts. The international English cut, released overseas as Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, is reported to run about 165 minutes (2 hours 45 minutes), with some listings reporting 167 minutes.
What is the Ramayana age rating?
In India, the film is certified U by the CBFC, suitable for all ages, with no cuts. In the United States, the MPA rated it PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and action and some bloody images. In the UK, the BBFC rated it 12A on 23 October 2026, meaning under-12s must be accompanied by an adult.
Is Ramayana in IMAX and 3D?
Yes. Ramayana was filmed for IMAX on IMAX-certified cameras and plays in IMAX 3D with an expanded 1.90:1 aspect ratio. It also plays in Dolby Cinema 3D, RealD 3D, 4DX, ScreenX and standard 2D. The 3D was graded natively by DNEG.
When did the Ramayana trailer come out?
The first glimpse was released on 3 July 2025. The first full trailer arrived on 30 July 2026, and the international trailer, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, was launched at an event in Bengaluru on 15 October 2026. The film opened worldwide on 5 November 2026.
What languages is Ramayana released in?
Ramayana: Part 1 released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam in India, with an English version for international audiences. A Mandarin version has also been reported for overseas markets.
Is the international version of Ramayana shorter?
Yes, reportedly. The international English cut is reported to run about 165 minutes, roughly 30 minutes shorter than the 195-minute Indian cut, with the song sequences trimmed for global theatrical markets. The makers have not officially confirmed every difference between the cuts.
Which format is best for watching Ramayana?
IMAX 3D is the format the film was shot for, with an expanded frame showing up to 26 percent more picture. Dolby Cinema is the best alternative for image quality and sound. A good RealD 3D screening is a strong third choice, and the film works in standard 2D as well.
What is ScreenX, and is Ramayana the first Indian film in it?
ScreenX is a 270-degree panoramic format that extends the image onto the side walls of the auditorium. Ramayana is reported to be the first Indian film released in ScreenX worldwide.
Where can I watch the Ramayana trailer?
The trailers are available on the makers’ and Sony Pictures’ official YouTube channels, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English. The international trailer was launched in Bengaluru on 15 October 2026.
When is Ramayana Part 2 coming?
Ramayana Part 2 is planned for Diwali 2027. It will cover the search for Sita, Hanuman’s leap to Lanka, and the war — the second half of the epic that Part 1 sets up and leaves on a cliffhanger.
