Actor and politician Nitish Bharadwaj, who played the role of Lord Rama in BR Chopra's 2001 television adaptation of the epic, has reacted to the teaser of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, extending his best wishes to the makers.
Nitish, who is widely known for playing Lord Krishna in BR Chopra's Mahabharat (1988-89), said in an interview, “Ramayana in a global avatar. Best wishes to Nitesh Tiwari & the team.”
The teaser, featuring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, was unveiled at a grand event in Mumbai on April 2 and has drawn mixed reactions from audiences. It showcased Ranbir in a warrior-like avatar, while also teasing the looks of Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita without revealing their faces.
Former actress Dipika Chikhlia, who played Sita in Ramanand Sagar's 1980s television show Ramayan, has also shared her views on the teaser.
“I watched the teaser, and it's very grand. Bahut rich lag raha hai. Unhone bahut achhe se banaya hai. So now I'm awaiting the film, and it's looking very beautiful, there's no doubt about it,” she said.
Meanwhile, the internet is divided regarding the teaser of Ramayana. While some viewers praised the scale and visuals of the teaser, others criticised it for its "cartoonish VFX". Some social media users also questioned Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Rama.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra along with Yash, the film also stars Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The two-part epic is reportedly being made on a budget of Rs 4,000 crore. Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman are scoring the music for the film.
Ramayana: Part 1 is slated to release in theatres on Diwali 2026 while the second part will arrive on the big screen a year later in 2027.