At the grand pre-release event for Ramayana: Part 1 in Hyderabad on October 19, 2026, Telugu producer and distributor Dil Raju made a slip that instantly became the talk of social media. Speaking at the JRC Convention Centre, he began praising the film’s star cast, acknowledging Ranbir Kapoor by name — ‘Ranbir ji, we’ve distributed two of your films here, Brahmastra and Animal.’ But moments later, he veered off course.
‘One of the best actors we have today is Ranveer Singh garu,’ he said, before catching himself mid-sentence. A pause. Then a laugh. ‘Sorry, Ranbir Kapoor garu.’ The moment was captured on video and shared widely, with clips circulating across platforms within hours.
The mix-up wasn’t just a gaffe, it was a cultural echo. Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Rama in the epic, remained visibly unfazed throughout. No reaction. No correction.
Just quiet presence. The incident followed a successful event in Bengaluru just days earlier, marking the film’s high-profile rollout across India. The makers are betting big: Ramayana: Part 1 will premiere globally at the David Geffen Theatre of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on October 27.
That’s not just a red carpet, it’s a declaration of intent. The film releases in cinemas worldwide on November 5, with Part 2 scheduled for Diwali 2027. Behind the scenes, tensions simmer. According to trade sources quoted by Bollywood Hungama, advance bookings may be delayed due to a dispute over revenue-sharing, with distributors demanding a 60% share in the first week.
Producer Namit Malhotra has staked his reputation, and his money, on this project. Yash, who portrays Ravana, addressed the pressure during his speech: ‘He (Namit Malhotra) has made a gamble. He has put his reputation, his money and everything at stake to put this film on a global platform.’ He urged audiences to watch with an open mind.
‘Please don’t try to find small faults in the VFX. It’ll never happen again. If we lose people like him now, we’ll go back many years.’ The film’s music is composed by Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman, an unprecedented collaboration for an Indian mythological. Cast includes Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Lara Dutta, Sheeba Chaddha, Adinath Kothare, Sonal Jha, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, and Faisal Malik.
The question isn’t whether the film will be seen. It’s whether it will be believed. And after a distributor called its lead actor by the wrong name, the world is watching closely.
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