Prior to Nitesh Tiwari's forthcoming Ramayana or Om Raut's Adipurush, there was an ambitious attempt to realize the story on the big screen. Even if Prabhas's depiction of Lord Rama in Adipurush garnered considerable criticism and did not succeed at the box office, admirers are optimistic about Ranbir Kapoor and Yash's version. But few are aware that Ramayana was intended for the big screen with celebrities like Hrithik Roshan and Amitabh Bachchan even before these movies.

The Ramayana was what Sanjay Khan intended to produce

With a reported budget of ₹50 crore, Sanjay Khan, a filmmaker and actor, planned a contemporary version of the Ramayana in 2008. Sanjay Khan, who is well-known for helming well-liked mythological and historical television shows like Jai Mahabharat, Jai Hanuman, The Sword of Tipu Sultan, and The Great Maratha, was very enthusiastic about bringing the epic to the big screen.

According to a Mumbai Mirror story from 2008, The Legend of Rama was the title of the movie, which would have been written by Sanjay Khan and Farrukh Dhondy, a British novelist. His then son-in-law Hrithik Roshan was considered for the role of Lord Rama, his son Zayed Khan for the role of Lakshman, and Amitabh Bachchan for the role of King Dashrath.

Sanjay Khan's production of Ramayana was verified by Zayed Khan

"Yes, my father is indeed making the Ramayan," Zayed Khan stated during an interview with Subhash K Jha for Mumbai Mirror in 2008. The Legend of Rama is its name. For the last three years, he's been working on this movie and trying to find the right performer to portray Ram. Who else but Hrithik would be the ideal candidate for the part?

"It's Ramayan in modern format, and the script is ready," added co-writer Farrukh Dhondy. In other words, it will be the Ramayan in the style of The Lord Of The Rings. The screenplay is reminiscent of a Shakespearean drama in its action, driving force, and pacing. The risk of doing a Mahabharat, Ramayana, or any other scripture is that it merely becomes, "the Gods did this, the Gods did that," since the Gods are free to do whatever they choose. Because of this, writing courses instruct students to never incorporate deities into their creative work. I'm attempting to explain the ways of the Gods. Zayed is the ideal Laxman, and Hrithik is the ideal Ram."

Despite the forethought and planning, the initiative was ultimately abandoned and never put into practice.

Ramayana by Nitesh Tiwari

The creators of Ramayana recently released an amazing sneak peek with Ranbir Kapoor playing Lord Rama and Yash playing Ravana. The audience was captivated by the excellent visual effects and the compelling background music, which was created by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer, as well as by the character designs. With many viewers hailing it as far better, the trailer has been compared to Adipurush.

In addition to Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, and Sai Pallavi as Sita, Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana also features them. The movie will be released in two parts, the first at Diwali 2026 and the second at Diwali 2027.