Namit Malhotra is open to making ‘Ramayana trilogy depending on audience response to part 1

Namit Malhotra is open to making ‘Ramayana trilogy depending on audience response to part 1; confirms part 2 will release during Diwali 2028, says, 'We want to deliver the finale in the grandest way'

Producer Namit Malhotra has said that ‘Ramayana: The Rise of a Legend’ could still grow into a trilogy, even though the makers have so far planned only two films. The final decision, he indicated, will depend on how viewers react to the first part.

He has also confirmed that the second film, earlier slated for 2027, will now release during Diwali 2028.

'Ramayana' part 2 delayed by a year

Viewers who have already watched Part 1 in theatres would have seen the end credits announce that the sequel is coming the year after next. Speaking to E! before the first film’s release, Namit Malhotra explained the reason behind the extra time.He said, “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.”He added, “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.”

Audience response may decide the future

According to Namit Malhotra, the reception of Part 1 will play a big role in deciding whether the story is taken further. The makers are not closing the door on a third film, though the current plan remains a two-part series directed by Nitesh Tiwari.

Different versions of Part 1

The producer also revealed that the team has made two versions of the first film, with different running times and treatments for Indian and international audiences. One of them was written especially for English-speaking viewers, with changes in how the story is told.He said the team would prefer not to create separate versions for the next film. Tiwari, too, would like to stay with a single cut. However, this may depend on the feedback the film gets in different markets.

Release and cast

‘Ramayana: Part 1’ was released worldwide on November 5, 2026, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi is Goddess Sita,

Yash

is Ravana, Sunny Deol is Lord Hanuman and Ravi Dubey is Lakshman.The supporting cast includes Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, Lara Dutta as Queen Kaikeyi, Arun Govil as King Dashrath and Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari. The film is produced by Malhotra and Yash, with music by Oscar-winning composers