Nitesh Tiwari’s mythological epic Ramayana rolled into cinemas on November 5, carrying an expansive cast led by Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash. The spectacle has finally met paying audiences. Yet behind the sprawling vistas lay an unglamorous soundstage reality marked by weighted regalia, suffocating adhesives, and grueling physical strain.
Veteran actor Ajinkya Deo, who portrays Maharishi Vishwamitra, detailed the intense physical prep required to step inside the epic. Deo spent his shoot days mostly bare-chested as an ascetic sadhu, yet the facial hair proved relentless. Attaching the wig and dense beard ate up an hour and a half every single morning. For Kapoor, portraying Lord Rama brought an even stiffer physical toll. Deo recalled Kapoor routinely hauling himself up beneath the sheer weight of his ornate crown and ceremonial attire, exhaling an exhausted "Oh my God!" before resetting for another take.
Cooled soundstages spared the ensemble complete exhaustion. Filming remained indoors inside climate-controlled sets, preventing glue and heavy prosthetics from melting under high-wattage production rigs. Deo noted that while his sadhu look spared him heavy body armor, watching Kapoor balance the physical load of Rama’s royal attire highlighted the unvarnished mechanics of mounting ancient history on screen.
The production marshals a multi-industry ensemble. Alongside Kapoor’s Rama, Sai Pallavi embodies Sita, while Yash steps into the role of Ravana. The production also features Ravi Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman. The supporting lineup brings Arun Govil as King Dasharath, Lara Dutta as Queen Kaikeyi, Indira Krishnan as Queen Kaushalya, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, and Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari. Music duties are split between Oscar winners Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman.
That massive scale has already reshuffled the studio's calendar. While the opening chapter landed on schedule, producers Namit Malhotra and Yash have pushed the concluding chapter from its projected 2027 window to Diwali 2028 under the banners of Prime Focus Studios and Monster Mind Creations. The production unit pushed the date to give post-production and visual effects pipelines the runway required to render the climactic war sequences.