'Ramayana' part 2 delayed, confirms producer, plans for trilogy

Produced by Namit Malhotra, 'Ramayana: Part 1' is scheduled to hit theatres on November 5. Ahead of its release, the producer has opened up about the film's evolving vision, revealing that the makers could reconsider their original plan of telling the epic in two parts and potentially expand it into a trilogy, depending on the audience's response.

Malhotra also confirmed that the second instalment, which was earlier slated for 2027, has been pushed to 2028.In an interview with Review Nation, Namit explained that 'Ramayana' was initially conceived with a global audience in mind. However, the vision grew during production, prompting the team to develop two master versions of the film. One of these has been specifically adapted for international audiences, with a rewritten English script to give the story a distinct presentation.Namit Malhotra explains why 'Ramayana: Part 2' has been postponed to 2028Addressing the decision to move the second instalment from 2027 to 2028, Namit told E! News, “So the idea was now that we’ve got so much excitement that the world has had, we want to take a little bit more time to make sure that when we present the grand finale, we have a little bit more time to do what we did on Part One. That extra year is what I genuinely believe we need to do justice for a film of this size.

When you see part 2 coming in, that will be a whole other story.

We didn’t want to do a rush job or get ahead of ourselves. We want to deliver the finale in the most grand way that it deserves.”'Ramayana' could still become a trilogy, says Namit MalhotraThe producer further revealed that the epic was originally planned as a trilogy before the makers decided to tell the story across two films. However, the possibility of revisiting that decision remains open, depending on how the first instalment is received.

He said, “I feel like we may sit back on the drawing board and see if there’s anything else that we want to add or subtract, depending on how the world has received it.

Because, you know, while we say that, we also have two different versions of the same film, with two different runtimes on part one itself. So, depending on which way the next round of feedback goes, I’d love to not have to make two different versions. I’m sure Nitesh would also like to stick to one version.”The film had its world premiere in Los Angeles on October 17, where it received a mixed response from viewers. While some drew comparisons with 'The Lord of the Rings', others praised the Pushpak Vimaan battle sequence. However, a section of the audience felt that the emphasis on visual grandeur came at the expense of the story's emotional depth.Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana: Meet the cast of 'Ramayana'Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, while Yash essays Ravana. Sunny Deol will portray Lord Hanuman, with Ravi Dubey playing Lakshman. The ensemble cast also includes Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, Lara Dutta as Queen Kaikeyi, Arun Govil as King Dashrath and Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari.