Ranbir Kapoor, Nitesh Tiwari and Ramayana Team Meet Young Leaders for a JioHotstar Special
Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari, actor Ravie Dubey and producer Namit Malhotra have joined students from across India for a conversation about the enduring values and characters of the Ramayana. Titled Har Yug Mein Ram: A Conversation with Young Leaders, the special episode will premiere exclusively on JioHotstar on November 1.
Created by JioHotstar in partnership with the makers of the upcoming film Ramayana and the International Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship (I.I.M.U.N.), the initiative brought together nearly 20,000 students from more than 500 schools in 18 cities. The event invited young people to consider how the epic’s ideas about duty, courage, friendship, love, forgiveness and sacrifice remain meaningful in contemporary life.
A conversation shaped by students’ questions
The gathering took place at I.I.M.U.N.’s Mumbai headquarters. Around 150 student leaders attended in person, while others joined virtually from classrooms around the country. Rather than simply presenting the Ramayana as a distant historical or literary text, the discussion encouraged students to engage with its characters and dilemmas through their own experiences.
Questions ranged from who might be considered the epic’s true hero to what the students would ask Lord Rama if they could speak with him. They also discussed which character they would choose as a friend and whose journey—Rama’s, Sita’s or Lakshman’s—they found most challenging. The format gave the young participants room to weigh different interpretations instead of treating the story as a set of fixed answers.
That approach reflects the continuing appeal of the Ramayana: its large-scale adventures sit alongside personal choices, relationships and moments of uncertainty. For students encountering the story through modern conversations, questions of loyalty, responsibility and resilience can connect ancient narratives with everyday decisions.
Ranbir Kapoor reflects on playing Lord Rama
Ranbir Kapoor, who will portray Lord Rama in Ramayana: Part One, said the exchange gave him a chance to hear how a younger generation understands the character. He described taking on the role as a humbling experience, noting that Rama’s story has been part of people’s lives for generations.
Kapoor said what made the event particularly meaningful was listening to students engage with the epic in their own way. Different generations, he observed, can discover individual meanings in Rama’s journey while still connecting with familiar themes. For an actor preparing to portray such a widely recognised figure, hearing those perspectives may also offer a valuable reminder of the many expectations audiences bring to the role.
Filmmakers discuss the human side of the epic
Producer Namit Malhotra said the event was designed to help young people form their own connection with the Ramayana and its lessons. As the epic is adapted for a new generation of filmgoers, he said, it is important that its values continue to be explored beyond the screen. The students’ questions and interpretations, he added, showed that the story still inspires curiosity and discussion.
Director Nitesh Tiwari highlighted the emotional complexity beneath the epic’s extraordinary events. In his view, the story’s richness comes not only from its grand moments but also from the deeply human choices and emotions experienced by its characters. He said the filmmakers’ responsibility is to preserve that emotional truth while presenting the story for contemporary audiences.
This balance is central to the challenge of adapting a culturally significant epic for cinema. Spectacle may attract viewers, but the characters’ motivations and relationships are what can make their journeys feel accessible. The student discussion offered an early glimpse of how audiences may respond to those themes when the film reaches theatres.
Ravie Dubey on Lakshman’s bond with Rama
Ravie Dubey, who plays Lakshman, spoke about exploring a relationship defined by loyalty, affection and duty. He said the students’ views on the bond between Lakshman and Rama—and on the choices characters make—gave him fresh ways to think about his role.
That relationship is one of the epic’s central emotional threads. Lakshman’s commitment to Rama can be read as an expression of devotion, but it also raises questions about personal sacrifice, family ties and the responsibilities people accept for those they love. Hearing young people relate these ideas to their own lives offered a contemporary perspective on a familiar story.
What to know about Ramayana: Part One
Ramayana: Part One is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Prime Focus Studios in association with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. The screenplay adaptation is by Shridhar Raghavan and draws on Valmiki’s Ramayana.
The film’s cast includes Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The project brings together prominent names from Bollywood and other Indian film industries, with the story planned for release in multiple languages.
Ramayana: Part One is scheduled to arrive in cinemas worldwide on November 5, 2026, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English. The release will also include IMAX 3D screenings. After its exclusive theatrical window, the film is expected to become available on JioHotstar through an on-demand purchase option.
Before the film’s theatrical debut, Har Yug Mein Ram: A Conversation with Young Leaders will bring the cast and creative team’s discussion to streaming audiences. Premiering on JioHotstar on November 1, the special aims to extend the conversation beyond the event itself—inviting viewers to consider how the Ramayana continues to speak to new generations.
