The much-awaited ‘Ramayana‘ received another boost in anticipation after 15 minutes of previously unreleased footage from the period epic was screened exclusively for exhibitors at Big Cine Expo 2026 in Chennai. Held on August 18 and 19, the exhibition event brought together theatre owners and other cinema industry stakeholders, with the Ramayana presentation taking place on the opening day. According to a Bollywood Hungama report, an exhibitor who attended the screening, the presentation featured footage that has not yet been made available to the public. Mobile phones were reportedly prohibited during the showcase, with attendees instructed not to record any portion of the presentation.
‘Ramayana’s exclusive 15-minute footage showcased unreleased visuals
An exhibitor who attended the preview shared details of the presentation, describing it as tightly guarded content. “It lasted for 15 minutes and, as expected, visuals from the film that have not yet been revealed to the public were presented to us. Hence, we were strictly prohibited from using our mobile phones or recording any part of the presentation,” the exhibitor said.Detailing what the footage showed, the report revealed that several of the film’s creature designs took centre stage. “The major highlights were the various creatures in the film, including the one-eyed daitya. A bear-like creature was also given prominence. We were amazed by the vision, imagination and VFX. Ramayana truly looks like a global Indian film. Its effects are at par with those of any Hollywood movie, like The Lord Of The Rings. The trailer had already excited the exhibitors, and this footage preview has added to the hype for us,” the exhibitor added.According to the exhibitor, the preview wasn’t limited to raw footage alone. “The asset was also like a making-of video. In between, quotes from producer Namit Malhotra were incorporated, in which he spoke about his ambitious endeavour. Finally, the Ramayana trailer, which has been out since July 30, formed the last part of the 15-minute preview,” the exhibitor said, as quoted by the publication, indicating that the presentation combined new visuals with existing promotional material to give attendees a fuller picture of the project’s scale.
‘Ramayana’ trailer formed the final part of the presentation
The ‘Ramayana’ trailer, released on July 30, was shown towards the conclusion of the 15-minute presentation. The exhibitor said the trailer formed the final portion of the showcase, effectively bringing together the newly presented material and the footage already available to the public. The screening therefore offered exhibitors an extended look at the film’s visual treatment while keeping the unreleased material away from public circulation.
Ranbir Kapoor and Yash headline ‘Ramayana: The Introduction’
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, ‘Ramayana’ stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, with Rakul Preet Singh, Lara Dutta, Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Arun Govil and Indira Krishnan rounding out the ensemble cast. Produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash, the film is being backed by Prime Focus’s VFX studio DNEG, with music composed jointly by Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman.The film’s first trailer, released on July 30, was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con, where Tiwari, Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Malhotra were present to discuss the making of the project. During the event, Tiwari confirmed that Ramayana: Part 1 will end on a cliffhanger, setting up the abduction of Sita as the story’s pivot point heading into Part 2. Ranbir Kapoor has also revealed that the two-part saga will together run to nearly six hours of screen time. Ramayana: Part 1 is scheduled to release in theatres this Diwali 2026, with Part 2 following on Diwali 2027.
