Maharashtra CM Fadnavis backs Ramayana for Oscar: ‘Will be disappointed if it doesn’t win’

“I will be disappointed if the Academy Award doesn’t come to Ramayana,” Fadnavis was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

The Chief Minister also spoke about his larger vision for Maharashtra becoming a global entertainment hub. Prime Focus and the Maharashtra government had earlier announced plans during the WAVES Summit to build what they described as a Global Entertainment Ecosystem in Mumbai.

Nitish Bharadwaj also called the film ‘Oscar-worthy’

Devendra Fadnavis is not the only one who believes Ramayana has Oscar potential. Actor Nitish Bharadwaj, who portrayed Lord Ram in B.R. Chopra’s television series Ramayan, also recently described the film as “Oscar-worthy” after watching its trailer.

Sharing the trailer poster on Instagram, Nitish wrote, “My views on Ramayan trailer – 100% Oscar for Best Foreign Film. Namit Badhaee. Nitesh Tiwari is Bharat’s next gift to the world cinema after Satyajit Ray & Shekhar Kapur. Tens of awards for Production design & DOP.”

He also praised Ranbir Kapoor’s transformation in the film, saying the actor is now “at par with Ranveer Singh.”

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Trailer receives mixed reactions

The makers of Ramayana unveiled the film’s first trailer on July 30 during the auspicious Brahma Muhurat at 4:15 am. The nearly four-minute preview generated widespread buzz, earning praise for its grand visuals and scale while also drawing criticism from a section of viewers over some creative choices including Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Rama and the costumes of several central characters, particularly Lara Dutta’s Kaikeyi and Sai Pallavi’s Sita. Netizens criticised its styling, arguing that the costumes and overall aesthetic felt too contemporary for a retelling of the ancient epic.

A week later, an English-language version of the trailer was also released, underscoring the film’s global ambitions. The English trailer has a runtime of 3 minutes and 54 seconds—around 15 seconds shorter than the Hindi version.
Unlike many Indian films that rely on international voice artists for English dubs, Ramayana retains the original performances, with the lead actors dubbing their own dialogues in English. The trailer follows the same narrative as the Hindi version.

About Ramayana

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is a two-part cinematic adaptation of Valmiki’s timeless epic. Ranbir Kapoor leads the cast as Lord Rama, alongside Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The film also stars Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Arun Govil as Dasharatha, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara and Adinath Kothare as Bharat.

The ambitious project is being produced by Namit Malhotra’s DNEG in association with Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. DNEG, which functions under the Prime Focus banner, is an eight-time Academy Award winner for Best Visual Effects and has delivered VFX for acclaimed films including Dune, Dune: Part Two and Tenet.

Mounted on a budget of Rs 4,000 crore, Ramayana ranks among the most expensive films ever made in India. Adding to its global appeal, Academy Award-winning composers Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman have teamed up for the film’s soundtrack, marking their first collaboration on an Indian project.

With cinematography by Pankaj Kumar and action designed by Mad Max stunt director Guy Norris, the film has been written by Nitesh Tiwari and Shridhar Raghavan and shot for IMAX. Ramayana: Part 1 is slated for a Diwali 2026 release, while Part 2 will arrive in theatres during Diwali 2027.