Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is one of the biggest Indian films in the making, with Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash leading the ambitious epic. Yet, with the film now roughly a month away from its worldwide release, the promotional campaign remains surprisingly quiet.
For a film carrying this kind of scale, expectations were naturally high for an aggressive promotional campaign. But so far, the major promotional material is still missing, leaving fans and trade circles wondering why the makers have not started the real push yet.
There could be a strategy behind the silence, with the team possibly saving the trailer, songs and major promotional events for the final few weeks. However, with only around 30 days left, that approach also carries a risk. A film of this magnitude needs considerable time to build audience awareness and sustain momentum, especially when expectations are already enormous.
The international release brings another challenge. Ramayana is being positioned as a major IMAX and PLF spectacle, while Godzilla Minus Zero is also arriving in the same November window. With premium screens limited, the two films could find themselves competing for valuable IMAX and other PLF shows in overseas markets.
The reported decision to advance the overseas release to November 5 in some markets could help Ramayana avoid a direct clash with Godzilla Minus Zero. But that does not solve the larger issue of the film’s promotional campaign.
At this stage, the quietness is difficult to ignore. Whether it is a carefully planned strategy or simply a delayed promotional start, the makers now have very little time to turn Ramayana into the kind of global event that its scale demands.
The film has the stars, the scale and the expectations. What it currently lacks is the promotional aggression to match them.