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Ramayana saw a major change as the makers are now gearing up for a worldwide rollout backed by Sony Pictures. The trailer of the mythological epic, Ramayana: Part One – The Introduction was slated for a grant launch on July 24 at the San Diego Comic-Con. Just hours before, producer Namit Malhotra announced the postponment of the trailer leaving fans highly disappointed. The Nitesh Tiwari directorial is currently being called one of the most ambitious film projects in India. It stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. But the change in its trailer release strategy seems to be more about the film's growing international ambitions than solely production delays.

The no-show of  's trailer led to a lot of speculation on the internet. The makers have not officially stated any reason for the delay, but recent developments hint that it may have been due to the major international distribution deal that significantly boosted the film's global ambitions.

 

Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios confirmed that Sony Pictures will release Ramayana across international markets outside India, marking it as one of the biggest global tie-ups ever signed for an Indian flick. It has also been confirmed that international distribution will be handled by Sony Pictures and Dharma Productions will distribute it in India.

The partnership does wonders for Ramayana's global profile as the film is promoted as a worldwide theatre event and not a release targeting Indian audiences alone.

 

The timing of Sony's announcement probably accounts for the trailer getting pushed. Many believe the makers likely wanted the trailer out once the distribution strategy had been decided. So, instead of releasing marketing material before agreeing on that, it seems the producers are waiting until the global release plan was finalised, because of the scale of the locked deal.

With the Sony worldwide support confirmed, the release of the trailer will enable the campaign to kick-off simultaneously in multiple territories, ensuring consistent branding and greater international visibility.

 

While many Indian productions are released overseas later,   has been envisaged from the beginning as an international blockbuster. The film will arrive in several languages and will also have a premium English version to reach a wider audience who are not familiar with the ancient Hindu epic.

Sony's involvement offers access to an extensive web for distribution throughout the world and is helping bring one of India's most popular mythological stories to the international moviegoers.

 

Those global ambitions are reflected in the scale of Ramayana. Producer Namit Malhotra has said the two-part adaptation has a reported $500 million budget making it one of the most expensive Indian film projects ever attempted. The figure includes both installments of the saga, production costs and worldwide marketing costs.

The first part is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and depicts the exile of Prince Rama, the abduction of Sita by Ravana and the chain of events that lead to the most celebrated battle of good and evil.

 

The production boasts one of the largest ensembles in Indian cinema. Other actors include Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, along with Rakut Preet Singh, Lara Dutta, Kajal Aggarwal, Vivek Oberoi, and others in pivotal roles.

The project has assembled an international creative team behind the camera too. Visual effects are provided by DNEG, the Academy Award-winning studio headed by Malhotra. His credits include Dune, Interstellar, Blade Runner 2049 and Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster The Odyssey.

The music is by Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer and Indian music legend A.R. Rahman. The fight scenes are choreographed by Terry Notary and Guy Norris. Ramsey Avery and Ravi Bansal are the production designers.

Ramayana will be released in two parts and the first part will be released during the Diwali holiday period this year.