No Ramayana trailer today, producer has a message for youth

Mumbai: The much-awaited trailer of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana will no longer release on July 24 as planned. Producer Namit Malhotra announced the last-minute postponement on Friday, leaving fans surprised after the trailer had already been showcased to a select audience in Delhi and was expected to go public following the film’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con.

Sharing the update on Instagram, Namit Malhotra revealed that Sony Pictures Entertainment has come on board as the film’s global distribution partner. Calling it a landmark moment for Indian cinema, he said the trailer will now be launched at a later date as part of a larger international rollout.

He added that the partnership would help take Ramayana to audiences across the world on the scale of a major Hollywood release.

Ending his note, the producer also wrote, “The youth of our country are our future, let’s all do the best we can to protect our future.”

Soon after the announcement, social media users began speculating that the postponement could be linked to the ongoing student protests. Many pointed to the producer’s closing message about the country’s youth, with some claiming it hinted at the makers avoiding a promotional launch during a sensitive time. However, the team has not officially confirmed that the protests influenced the decision.

Meanwhile, industry buzz suggests the trailer could now be unveiled closer to the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is expected to hit theatres on July 31.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The film also features Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey, Rakul Preet Singh, Lara Dutta, Arun Govil, Vivek Oberoi and Kunal Kapoor in pivotal roles.