Ramayana Takes Over the Academy Museum
Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi brought Indian cinema's most anticipated epic to a Los Angeles red carpet on Tuesday night, and the fans outside chanted for the villain.
Hollywood's own museum rolled out the carpet for Bollywood on Tuesday night. Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, one of the most anticipated films in Indian cinema, held its Los Angeles premiere on October 27 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, with an invite-only 3D screening of the English-language version in the museum's David Geffen Theatre.
All three leads showed up. Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Ram, walked the carpet with Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita. Yash, the film's Ravana, arrived with his wife, actress Radhika Pandit. Director Nitesh Tiwari, filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra were with them, and Jada Pinkett Smith was among the Hollywood guests.
The fans picked a side
The crowd outside made the loudest noise of the night, and not all of it was for the hero. Fans chanted "Ravana" as Yash came down the carpet, called "RK" when Ranbir arrived, and broke into "Jai Shri Ram" as the cast posed. Videos of the arrivals went viral in India within hours.
The leads came dressed for the occasion, in traditional Indian wear rather than standard premiere black tie.
Why Los Angeles
A world premiere at the Academy's own museum is a statement. Indian studios have been courting the American market for years, and Tuesday's guest list put the film in front of the people who vote on, program and distribute movies in this town.
At a glance
- Film
- Ramayana: Rise of a Legend (Part One)
- Premiere
- Tuesday, October 27, 2026
- Where
- David Geffen Theatre, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles
- Stars
- Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash
- Director
- Nitesh Tiwari
- Producer
- Namit Malhotra
- In theaters
- November 5, 2026. Part Two is set for Diwali 2027.
Reporting drawn from coverage by India West, Gulf News, the Free Press Journal and UPI.