Sony Takes Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Ramayana’ Global, Eyes Nearly 60,000 Screens Worldwide

Indian cinema is preparing for one of its most ambitious global theatrical launches, with Sony Pictures set to take Nitesh Tiwari’s much-awaited Ramayana to 50,000 screens outside India when its first part arrives in theatres on November 6, 2026, coinciding with Diwali.

Produced by Namit Malhotra, the two-part epic brings together an ensemble cast led by Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. The film has already generated considerable attention for its scale, star power and international ambitions.

With around 9,000 additional screens in India, the overseas rollout could take the film’s worldwide theatrical footprint to nearly 60,000 screens, underlining the scale of Sony Pictures’ distribution plans.

The partnership is being viewed by the makers as a major step forward for Indian cinema, particularly at a time when Indian films are increasingly seeking audiences beyond the traditional South Asian markets. The decision to mount such a vast international release could also give Ramayana an opportunity to introduce the Indian epic to a much wider global audience.

Adding to the film’s international appeal is its high-profile technical team. Renowned composer Hans Zimmer and Oscar-winning Indian composer A.R. Rahman are associated with the music, while the production reportedly relies heavily on visual effects to create the world, characters and large-scale sequences demanded by the epic.

However, the film’s enormous technical ambition has also prompted discussion among moviegoers and industry observers. Questions have been raised about the extent of its VFX dependence and whether artificial intelligence-assisted technology could have a role in parts of the filmmaking process.

Despite the debate, the scale of the release itself signals the confidence surrounding Ramayana. With a celebrated cast, an internationally recognised creative team and one of the largest planned theatrical footprints for an Indian production, the film is positioning itself not merely as a Bollywood release but as a major global cinematic event.