Ranbir's 'Ramayana' will go global using AI, says producer Namit Malhotra

Producer Namit Malhotra is betting big on Ramayana, not just as a film for Indian audiences, but as a story that can speak to viewers across the world. At the WAVES Summit in Mumbai, Malhotra shared how the upcoming mythological drama, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and starring Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi, is being developed with a global ambition, bringing together high-end tech with cultural roots.

He explained that the team isn’t just dubbing the film into other languages. Instead, they’re using real-time AI to match lip movements to multiple languages, so when audiences watch it in English, Spanish, or Japanese, it looks like the actors are actually speaking those tongues. The idea is to avoid the usual detachment of subtitles or awkward dubbing, and instead make the film feel native to each region.

Namit Malhotra’s tech-driven vision to take Ramayana beyond borders with seamless language adaptationIMDB

This ambition reflects a larger shift discussed at the summit. Actor Aamir Khan and producers like Dinesh Vijan and Ritesh Sidhwani emphasised the need for Indian filmmakers to build proper international distribution channels. “We’ve not done the groundwork to reach a global audience,” said Aamir. “We focus on what works here and rarely think about how our stories could travel.”

Charles Roven, the American producer behind The Dark Knight and Wonder Woman, pointed out that Hollywood makes global plans from day one, while Indian cinema often decides the release format much later. Aamir admitted this was true, and said Indian filmmakers often start with the story and figure out the rest later.

Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana aims to bridge Indian mythology and worldwide audiences using cutting-edge AIIMDB

Malhotra agreed but argued that India’s strength lies in telling deeply rooted stories in a way that connects universally. “The more local the story, the more global it becomes,” he said, echoing a sentiment that’s gaining ground, especially in a streaming-first world.

The scale of Ramayana in fact reflects this vision. Featuring Ranbir as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana, the film will release in two parts, first in 2026, then in 2027. Malhotra has spent over a decade preparing for this adaptation and says it’s a personal mission to present Indian mythology in a way that feels sacred yet spectacular.

Though the teaser launch was delayed due to recent events in Pahalgam, Ramayana is more than just a film for Namit and he hopes to create a cinematic bridge between Indian heritage and a global audience.