Addinath Kothare opens up on first day of shoot on the set of Ramayana with Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Ravi Dubey in Ayodhya | Exclusive

Addinath Kothare will essay the role of Bharat in Ramayana. The two part film is helmed by Nitesh Tiwari.

Ramayana is inarguably the biggest and most anticipated film of 2026. On the auspicious occasion of the beginning of Navratri on Sunday, the makers announced that the Nitesh Tiwari directorial will hit theatres worldwide on November 5, three days before Diwali.

Addinath Kothare has spoken about Ramayana.

Envisioned as a two-part epic, the film will bring the story of the Ramayana to the big screen on a grand scale. It stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. Marathi actor Addinath Kothare stars as Bharath in the magnum opus.

Addinath on the first day of shoot

Speaking to HT, Addinath shared his experience about working on the film. He recalled memories of entering the set on the first day on set and said, “It was absolutely surreal. I remember the first day of shoot when I was there and we were shooting something in Ayodhya… the whole cast was there. Ranbir [Kapoor], Ravi [Dubey], Sai [Pallavi], and everyone. Obviously when you are shooting in that flow then you are not affected by it as one has to be in that character… but I remember coming back home and sitting with my family and thinking, ‘What just happened today!’”

He went on to add, “I am part of something that is so huge. Nitesh [Tiwari] sir, Namit [Malhotra] sir, the DoP Pankaj Kumar… we have the best team in the world. AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer, it is a big deal. We have grown up with their music, The Dark Knight and all the other films he has scored… I am part of such a prestigious venture, I feel God has been kind to me that I am in this project.”

Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film is based on the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana by Valmiki, which chronicles the life and trials of Lord Rama, the Prince of Ayodhya. It features an ensemble cast including Ranbir Kapoor, Ravie Dubey (in his film debut), Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol, Yash (in his Hindi film debut), Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan and Lara Dutta.

Backed by Namit Malhotra and Yash under Prime Focus Studios, Monster Mind Creations and DNEG, the film is one of the most expensive films ever made in India, mounted on a budget of ₹4,000 crore. Ramayana is a two-part film, with the first part releasing on Diwali 2026 and the second on Diwali 2027.