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New Delhi: Actors Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, along with producer Namit Malhotra and director Nitesh Tiwari, headlined the Ramayana panel at the San Diego Comic Con.

During the panel session, actor Yash defended Ranbir Kapoor‘s casting as Lord Ram and said that he has “worked very hard” and had made “great sacrifices” for the film.

Defending Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Ram, Yash said, “Nobody in this world can come and say, ‘I have the virtue to play Lord Rama’. The fact that he (Ranbir) said the same says it all. He is a fabulous actor. It’s not easy to play Lord Rama and the way he has really worked, huge respect to him.”

He added, “He has worked very hard on his fitness. When you see Ramayana, you will see a beautiful Rama with great intent and great sacrifice he has done.”

Meanwhile, Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Ram has received mixed reaction from the people, especially after the first teaser release of the film.

Award-winning VFK Studio DNEG brought an exclusive first look at the largest cinematic undertaking in Indian film history and a sweeping new retelling of one of the world’s oldest and most enduring epics.

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— Comic-Con International (@Comic_Con) July 24, 2026

Speaking on the sidelines, Ranbir opened up about his first reaction when he was offered the role of Lord Ram. He said, “I remember when the film was first offered to me, there was so much of fear, so much of doubt. ‘Will I be able to do this, am I capable enough?’ But I think that doubt changed into gratitude very early on. I think it was a blessing, an opportunity of a lifetime, and a moral responsibility. The Ramayana is ingrained in our subconscious. Lord Rama is the conscience keeper of millions of people around the world for generations, for more than 4000 years. He is somebody who embodies the triumph of the human spirit in times of adversities. He stands for courage, compassion, forgiveness, righteousness, and just to have the opportunity to represent that is very daunting.”

“Very early on, I understood that it just requires a lot of faith, a lot of belief, a lot of truthfulness, and noble intentions. Our entire cast and crew had one noble intention, and that is to tell the story as authentically as we can,” he added.

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Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, the film also features Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, and Yash as Ravana. The film also features Lara Dutta, Arun Govil, Rakul Preet Singh, Anupam Kher, and Kajal Agarwal in important roles. The first part of Ramayana is slated for a Diwali 2026 release, and the second part will be released during Diwali 2027.