The much-awaited Ramayana Part 1 is preparing for a massive international release, but audiences outside India may not see exactly the same version that will be screened for Indian viewers. According to recent reports, the English-language cut of Nitesh Tiwari’s epic will be approximately 30 minutes shorter than its Hindi counterpart.
The decision is reportedly part of the makers’ strategy to present the ambitious Indian epic in a format tailored for international theatrical audiences. The English version will not simply be a conventional dubbed edition. Instead, the film is being adapted with a separate edit, including changes to its music and selected scenes.
English version Ramayana will skip songs
One of the biggest differences between the two versions will reportedly be the treatment of songs.
The English-language international cut is expected to remove the songs completely, while the Hindi and other Indian-language versions will retain the musical portions. Some scenes will also be shortened or removed, resulting in an overall runtime that is around 30 minutes less than the Hindi cut.
The reasoning, according to reports citing sources close to the production, is to create a tighter theatrical experience for viewers in overseas markets. Indian audiences are generally accustomed to longer films that incorporate songs into the narrative, whereas the makers are reportedly taking a different approach for international viewers.
This means international audiences will experience the same central story but through a somewhat different edit.
Why the makers created different versions
Ramayana is being mounted as a large-scale two-part cinematic adaptation, with the makers aiming to reach audiences well beyond India.
Rather than treating the international release as a straightforward Hindi film with English dubbing, the team appears to be creating a version designed specifically for overseas theatrical consumption. The shorter runtime and absence of songs are part of that approach.
The Hindi version, meanwhile, will preserve the musical elements that are being developed for the Indian theatrical experience. The film has already begun building anticipation around its music, including the release of “Jai Jai Ram,” composed by A.R. Rahman and featuring vocals by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal.
AI technology is also part of the global strategy
The international version of Ramayana has another major technological element.
The makers previously unveiled an English-language trailer in which the actors appeared to deliver their dialogues in English while their lip movements remained synchronised with the translated performances.
Producer Namit Malhotra explained that the team used a combination of voice actors and proprietary technology to achieve the effect. According to his explanation, the technology was used to adapt the actors’ facial and lip movements to the English performances rather than simply presenting a conventional dubbed version.
The English trailer used AI-assisted lip-sync technology to make the dialogue appear naturally integrated with the actors’ performances. This approach is intended to reduce the visual disconnect that can sometimes occur in traditional dubbed films.
Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash lead the epic
Ramayana Part 1 features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The cast also includes Ravi Dubey as Lakshmana and Sunny Deol as Hanuman.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash, the film is being developed as a two-part theatrical saga.
The scale of the production has generated considerable attention even before its release. The project is being created with extensive visual effects, with DNEG involved in the VFX work, and the makers are planning releases in premium formats including IMAX.
A global release strategy
The decision to create a shorter English version is part of a much broader international strategy for Ramayana.
The film is expected to be released in multiple Indian languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada. At the same time, the makers are looking at markets outside India, including Japan, China and Spanish-speaking territories.
The international strategy also involves localising the film into languages such as English, Spanish and Japanese. The use of technology for the English version is therefore only one part of the larger plan to make the epic accessible to audiences unfamiliar with Hindi cinema.
When will Ramayana Part 1 release?
Ramayana Part 1 is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release in November 2026, with the Indian release planned around Diwali. The second instalment is expected to arrive during Diwali 2027.
With the film being positioned as a global cinematic event, the distinction between its Indian and international cuts is likely to remain a major talking point as the release date approaches.
For Indian viewers, the Hindi version will offer the longer cut with its musical sequences intact. International audiences, meanwhile, will reportedly get a more concise English-language edit that removes songs and trims selected portions.
The result will be two versions of the same epic designed around different theatrical audiences — while the core story and performances of Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash remain at the centre of both.
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