Source : @Variety
MUMBAI — Nitesh Tiwari’s big-budget epic “Ramayana: Part One”, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, will be available to buy on demand on the streaming platform JioHotstar in India after its theatrical run, Variety reported on Wednesday (Oct 21).
Under the deal between JioHotstar and the film’s producer, Prime Focus Studios, the film will be sold as a separate on-demand purchase on the platform. The companies described it as the first pay-per-view offering of its kind on JioHotstar, adding that the film will stream in the best quality each supported device can handle.
The epic follows the exiled prince Rama, played by Kapoor, and his consort Sita, played by Sai Pallavi, as Sita’s abduction by Ravana, played by Yash, sets off a war between righteousness and evil. Sunny Deol plays Hanuman and Ravie Dubey plays Lakshman. The cast also includes Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor and Kajal Aggarwal.
The film opens worldwide on November 5, in time for the Diwali festival holiday, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, with Imax 3D among its formats. Sony Pictures Entertainment is releasing the film globally, while Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions is handling distribution in India.
“‘Ramayana’ is one of India’s greatest civilizational treasures – a story that has shaped our conscience, inspired our imagination, and guided the way we live for centuries,” said Nita M. Ambani, chair of JioStar. “At JioHotstar, our vision is to use technology to bring the finest stories within reach of every Indian. It is our privilege to present this grand cinematic vision of ‘Ramayana’ to families across the country, and introduce a new generation to its eternal values of duty, love, courage, and goodness.”
Prime Focus Studios is producing the film with DNEG, the visual effects and production company that has won eight Oscars, and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. “Ramayana” is a live-action project in two parts, with Shridhar Raghavan adapting Valmiki’s ancient Sanskrit epic for the screen.
Namit Malhotra, the producer who founded DNEG and serves as its chief executive, said he believed the film should be watched on the largest screen available, in Imax 3D. “But our country’s cinema infrastructure cannot reach everyone who holds this epic close,” he said. “‘Ramayana’ belongs to every Indian, and our ambition must reflect that. JioHotstar has time and again shown how technology can bring a nation together through its sports and entertainment offering. That made them a natural partner to take Ramayana into people’s hands and living rooms, after its theatrical run.”
The production has assembled an international creative team. Oscar winners Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman are composing the score, Ravi Bansal and Ramsey Avery handled production design, and Terry Notary and Guy Norris oversaw the action. The film was designed with Imax and other premium large formats in mind.
The move marks a notable shift in how major Indian releases reach home audiences. Big-screen titles in India have typically arrived on subscription streaming services after their cinema runs, rather than as one-off purchases. By offering “Ramayana: Part One” on a pay-per-view basis, the producers are aiming to reach viewers in parts of the country with limited access to cinemas while keeping a separate revenue stream from the film. Tiwari is best known for directing the 2016 wrestling drama “Dangal”, one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. Yash rose to pan-Indian stardom with the “K.G.F” action franchise.
The original Variety post can be viewed on X: https://x.com/Variety/status/2113074145927835798.
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