Indian epic 'Ramayana' film aims for global audience

The filmmakers behind big-budget Hindu epic "Ramayana" are aiming to bring a classic Hindu story to global audiences this year.

"Ramayana" tells a 5,000-year-old story about Prince Rama, an incarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu, played by Ranbir Kapoor, who is exiled to the forests for 14 years along with his wife and brother. When his wife is kidnapped, the story brings Rama into conflict with Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, played by Indian actor Yash.

"I have tried to internalize ... the whole essence of Ravana and tried to make him as human as possible at times," Yash said in an interview this week. "It's important for people to relate to him, especially (since) we have global ambitions, so we need to make it familiar to a Western audience as well."

The team behind the films, which have a combined budget of up to $500 million, appeared at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas, where "Ramayana" posters were displayed alongside promotions for Hollywood's upcoming releases.

The first movie will be released in India and the United States on November 8 to coincide with Diwali, the Hindu "festival of lights." The second will come out in 2027.

Producer Namit Malhotra said the film would mix elements of fantasy and human drama from movies such as "The Lord of the Rings" and "Gladiator."

"It will promise a very different experience unlike anything traditionally that, let's say, Indian movies offer or even Hollywood for that matter," Malhotra said. "It's meant for the world and it's got the best of the East and the best of the West coming together to make it happen."