Ranbir Kapoor is set to portray Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part One. The historical drama is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on November 5, 2026. However, the actor is not the first in Indian cinema to play the character of Rama on screen. His great-grandfather, Prithviraj Kapoor, Arun Govil, N. T. Rama Rao, and others have played the character in different ways.
Actors Who Played Lord Ram On Screen
1. Prithviraj Kapoor - Seeta (1934)
Ranbir Kapoor’s great-grandfather, Prithviraj Kapoor, portrayed Lord Rama in Debaki Bose’s Seeta. The movie was first released in Bengali in 1933 and was subsequently released again in 1934 in Hindi.
The movie proved to be a milestone for early Indian cinema. It was selected to be screened at the Venice Film Festival in 1934 and became the first Indian talkie to be showcased at an international film festival.
2. Prem Adib - Ram Rajya (1943)
Another actor who portrayed Lord Rama was Prem Adib. He starred as Lord Rama in Vijay Bhatt's Ram Rajya, opposite Shobhna Samarth as Sita.
When the movie was released in 1943, Vijay Bhatt arranged a private screening for Mahatma Gandhi while he was recovering at a bungalow in Juhu, Mumbai.
Ram Rajya is widely remembered as the only Hindi film Gandhi watched during his lifetime. Adib's portrayal also became one of the defining mythological performances for upcoming actors.
3. N. T. Rao - Lava Kusa (1963)
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, popularly known as NTR, portrayed different Hindu deities, including Lord Rama and Lord Krishna.
One of his best-known performances as Rama came in C. Pullayya and C. S. Rao's Telugu film Lava Kusa (1963). It starred Anjali Devi as Sita. The story focuses on the Uttara Kanda episode, including the lives of Rama and Sita's sons, Lava and Kusha.
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4. Shobhan Babu - Sampoorna Ramayanam (1972)
Shobhan Babu portrayed Lord Rama in Bapu's Telugu mythological film Sampoorna Ramayanam. Released on March 16, 1972, the movie followed Rama's journey from his birth and exile to his eventual coronation.
Chandrakala played Sita, while S. V. Ranga Rao portrayed Ravana.
5. Arun Govil - Ramayan (1987-1988)
For generations of Indian television viewers, Arun Govil remains one of the most recognisable actors to have portrayed Lord Rama.
He played the character in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, which originally aired on Doordarshan between 1987 and 1988. The 78-episode series also featured Deepika Chikhlia as Sita, Sunil Lahri as Lakshman, Dara Singh as Hanuman and Arvind Trivedi as Ravana.
In an interview with ANI, the actor revealed that Ramanand Sagar initially rejected him. The makers subsequently offered him the roles of Bharat and Lakshman, but Govil insisted that he wanted to play Rama. He was eventually called back and selected for the lead role.
6. Jr NTR - Ramayanam (1997)
Jr NTR portrayed young Lord Rama in Gunasekhar's 1997 Telugu film Ramayanam.
Ramayanam received the National Film Award for Best Children's Film for 1997. Its official award citation praised the film for presenting the Indian epic through young performers who portrayed its characters with ease and enthusiasm.
7. Gurmeet Choudhary - Ramayan (2008)
Gurmeet Choudhary played Lord Rama in Sagar Arts' television adaptation Ramayan. The show premiered on NDTV Imagine on January 21, 2008. Debina Bonnerjee portrayed Sita, and Anand Sagar directed the series.
In a 2008 interview with Rediff, Gurmeet spoke about the responsibility of playing the character and revealed that director Anand Sagar asked him to undergo a look test and was selected immediately without an audition.
He also explained that he deliberately avoided watching Arun Govil's earlier performance while preparing for the role because he wanted to develop his own interpretation.
8. Nandamuri Balakrishna - Sri Rama Rajyam (2011)
N. T. Rama Rao's son, Nandamuri Balakrishna, played the character in Bapu's Sri Rama Rajyam.
Released in 2011, the Telugu mythological film featured Nayanthara as Sita and Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Valmiki. The story revisited the Uttara Kanda portion of the Ramayana, focusing on events following Rama's return to Ayodhya.
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9. Ashish Sharma - Siya Ke Ram (2015-16)
Ashish Sharma portrayed Lord Rama in Star Plus' mythological television series Siya Ke Ram, which premiered on November 16, 2015. Madirakshi Mundle played Sita.
The show's storytelling approach distinguished it from several earlier adaptations. Rather than following Rama's journey alone, it placed Sita's experiences and perspective at the centre of the narrative.
Speaking to The Indian Express in November 2015, Ashish said, "Siya Ke Ram is the story of Sita and Ram as two equally strong individuals, and I feel Ramayan is as much Sita's journey as it is Ram's."
10. Prabhas - Adipurush (2023)
Prabhas became one of the most prominent contemporary actors to portray Lord Rama with Om Raut's Adipurush, released on June 16, 2023.
Additional cast featured Kriti Sanon as Janaki, Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh and Sunny Singh as Lakshman.
11. Sujay Reu - Shrimad Ramayan (2024)
The most recent television actor on this list is Sujay Reu, who portrayed Lord Rama in Sony Entertainment Television's Shrimad Ramayan. The series premiered on January 1, 2024, with Prachi Bansal playing Sita.
"He is the one and only Maryada Purushottam," Sujay said, explaining that Rama's experiences and the way he faced difficulties made the role particularly challenging.
Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana: What We Know
Ranbir Kapoor will portray Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari's two-part cinematic adaptation of the epic. Sai Pallavi plays Sita, Yash portrays Ravana, and Ravi Dubey plays Lakshman. Sunny Deol is also part of the cast as Hanuman.
The makers unveiled Ranbir's first look as Rama in April 2026. In the official announcement, Kapoor said, "I don't think I'm here to represent Rama. I'm here to learn from him."
Ramayana: Part One is scheduled to release worldwide in cinemas on November 5, 2026, while the second instalment is planned for Diwali 2027.
FAQs
Q1. Who played Lord Rama before Ranbir Kapoor?
A1. Prithviraj Kapoor, Prem Adib, N. T. Rama Rao, Arun Govil, Jr NTR, Gurmeet Choudhary and Prabhas are among the actors who portrayed Lord Rama.
Q2. Who was the first actor to play Lord Rama in Indian cinema?
A2. Anna Salunke played Rama in Dadasaheb Phalke's 1917 silent film Lanka Dahan.
Q3. Who played Lord Rama in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan?
A3. Arun Govil portrayed Lord Rama in the iconic television series Ramayan (1987).
Q4. Did Ranbir Kapoor's great-grandfather play Lord Rama?
A4. Yes. Prithviraj Kapoor played Lord Rama in Seeta (1933), directed by Debaki Bose.