The short answer
The 1987 serial and the 2026 film tell the same story in very different ways. The serial is a weekly television show made in the 1980s; the film is a two-part theatrical epic released in five languages. The film has not opened, so we compare what is known today and will add scene-level comparison after release.
| Ramayan (1987 serial) | Ramayana (2026 film) | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Television serial on Doordarshan, 78 episodes (1987 to 1988) | Two theatrical films, Part 1 in Nov 2026 and Part 2 slated for Diwali 2027 |
| Creator | Ramanand Sagar | Nitesh Tiwari (director), Namit Malhotra (producer) |
| Ram | Arun Govil | Ranbir Kapoor |
| Sita | Deepika Chikhalia | Sai Pallavi |
| Lakshman | Sunil Lahri | Ravi Dubey |
| Hanuman | Dara Singh | Sunny Deol |
| Ravana | Arvind Trivedi | Yash |
| Languages | Hindi | Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam |
| Reported cost | Not applicable | About Rs 835 crore for Part 1 (reported) |
The link between them
Arun Govil, who played Ram in the serial, is in the 2026 cast in a very different role, which the makers have not detailed. Some trailer viewers said parts of the film looked like serial material, while others praised the scale and visual effects.
What we will compare after release
- Which episodes and scenes of the serial appear in Part 1
- How Ravana is written
- Where Part 1 ends
More: the film vs the Valmiki Ramayana.
Updates
- 29 Oct 2026 Published before release. Scene-level comparison to follow after the film opens.
We update this page as more is confirmed.