'Ramayana': What was cut from the shorter English version?
What's the story
The much-anticipated film Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash, will be released in two parts. The first part hit theaters on Thursday, November 5, 2026. In a recent interview, lead actors Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash revealed what the English version of the film doesn't have that led it to become around 30 minutes shorter than the Hindi cut.
Cast's reaction
'You should go and watch the Hindi version'
During an international interaction, the interviewer expressed disappointment over the absence of songs in the English version.
Kapoor humorously responded, "Well then, you should go and watch the Hindi version. They cut a good 30 minutes."
Pallavi added that some scenes from the movie were cut, too.
Yash explained, "The English version, because there are so many characters, people may not relate to it and understand it at this point in time. So, a collective decision was taken (to cut)."
Global adaptation
Why is the English version shorter?
The English version of Ramayana will be shorter in length, with some portions cut for international theatrical audiences.
Unlike the Indian versions, the English-language cut will not have songs.
This move is part of a larger strategy to present the epic to a global audience in a format that is more familiar to international viewers.
Instead of simply dubbing the Hindi film into English, makers are adapting it to suit viewing habits and expectations outside India.
Musical elements
Music will remain integral to Indian versions
For Indian audiences, music will remain an integral part of Ramayana. The Hindi and other Indian-language versions are expected to keep the musical portions.
Makers have built anticipation around the music ever since Jai Jai Ram, composed by AR Rahman, was released as the first song from the film.
The track features vocals by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal, with lyrics by Kumar Vishwas.
Hans Zimmer is also a music director for the film that hit theaters on Thursday.