The teaser of Ramayana starring Ranbir Kapoor has created excitement among audiences. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film presents the well known epic to a global audience. While many people are looking forward to this new version, it is important to note that this is not the first time the Ramayana has been adapted for the screen.
Over the past century, more than 50 films have been made based on the Ramayana. One of the earliest adaptations was Lanka Dahan, made in 1917 by Dadasaheb Phalke. This silent film focused on Hanuman’s journey to Lanka and is considered one of the first mythological films in Indian cinema.
In 1931, the film Chandrasena, directed by V Shantaram and Keshavrao Dhaiber, explored a lesser known part of the story. It showed the episode of Ahiravan and his wife helping Hanuman rescue Rama and Lakshmana.
By the 1940s, films based on the Ramayana had become quite common. Bharat Milap focused on the story from Bharat’s point of view. Another important film from that time was Ram Rajya, directed by Vijay Bhatt. It is often said that Mahatma Gandhi watched this film.
In 1954, Vijay Bhatt made another film titled Ramayan, which focused on the story of Luv and Kush. Actors Prem Adib and Shobhana Samarth played the roles of Rama and Sita again.
Around the same period, film industries in Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, and Malayalam languages also created their own versions. The Telugu film Bhookailas focused more on Ravana’s story instead of Rama.
In later years, films continued to explore different parts of the epic. A 1967 version of Ram Rajya combined elements from different texts like Valmiki’s Ramayana and Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas. The Tamil film Dasavatharam included a segment on Lord Rama as part of Vishnu’s ten avatars.
Animation also played a role in bringing the story to new audiences. Ramayana The Legend of Prince Rama was an Indo Japanese project that gained international attention.
More recently, Adipurush starred Prabhas and Kriti Sanon, though it received criticism for its visual effects.
Now, the upcoming Ramayana starring Ranbir Kapoor is set to release in two parts during Diwali 2026 and 2027.