Bringing the Ravana-Jatayu battle to the screen in ‘Ramayana’ was a project that took years of planning, design and multiple revisions. Director Nitesh Tiwari has revealed that the sequence took six and a half years to complete, from the initial briefing to the final frame.

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One of the biggest challenges was designing the Pushpak Viman, the mythical aircraft associated with Ravana. According to Tiwari, the team spent nearly two years working on its design and explored around 40 to 50 versions before arriving at the final look seen in the film.

Nitesh Tiwari on the six-and-a-half-year process

Speaking to Shreyas Media, the filmmaker spoke about the scale of work that went into creating the sequence, which involved thousands of people.

“You know how much time it has taken for us to finish the Ravana and Jatayu fight? From the time I briefed the previous artist to the time we finished the whole thing, six and a half years. One action sequence,” he said.

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Tiwari added that the effort behind the sequence was extensive, with the team building its elements from scratch.

Why the Pushpak Viman went through 40-50 designs

The filmmaker explained that the initial concept for the Pushpak Viman was different from the design eventually chosen. Since the fight sequence had already been developed around the earlier idea, the team had to revisit and rework several aspects after settling on the final version.

“We took close to two years to arrive at that. And then a lot of things changed, which is why it took us so long to shape the Ravana and Jatayu fight,” Tiwari said.

He revealed that the team created around 40 to 50 designs before finalising the aircraft. The intention, he explained, was to make it look like a vehicle that could plausibly fly, rather than simply creating a fantastical visual.

“We didn't want something that did look like it could fly, we wanted some kind of science to go into it. Because I believe, we all believe there was science behind everything that happened that time,” he added.

Ranbir Kapoor addresses AI claims around ‘Ramayana’ VFX

Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Rama in the film, also spoke about the work that goes into creating large-scale visual effects. The actor said it was disappointing when elaborate CGI work was dismissed as AI-generated, overlooking the people involved in producing each frame.

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“You know, one really feels bad when someone releases something and people call it AI. Actually there are thousands of people tirelessly working for days and hours to get one frame right. There is a lot of hard work that goes into bringing the finesse in the CGI,” he said.

‘Ramayana’ cast and release plans

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, ‘Ramayana’ is being made as a two-part adaptation. Ranbir Kapoor plays Rama, Sai Pallavi portrays Sita, while Yash takes on the role of Ravana.

The first instalment is scheduled to release during Diwali 2026, with the second part planned for 2027.