Ramayana has cleared India’s censor process with a rare combination: a universal U certificate, no cuts, and no demand for any audio or visual changes. The CBFC handed over the certificate on October 30, a week before the film’s scheduled release.
What the certificate says
The examining committee did not ask for a single cut or modification, Bollywood Hungama reported. That is unusual because the CBFC often requires title and credit changes in the film’s language, or an anti-drug message before the film and during the interval. None of those requests came for Ramayana.
- Rating: U, unrestricted public exhibition for all ages
- Modifications: None visual or audio
- Runtime: 195.00 minutes, or 3 hours and 15 minutes
- Certificate issued: October 30
Why the U matters
For a big-budget epic, a U certificate removes the age restriction from the audience pool. The last two notable films to pass without cuts—The Vvan and Drishyam The Conclusion—received a U/A 16+ rating. Passing with no modifications and a U is therefore the wider commercial outcome. A zero-cut clearance also spares producers from last-minute editing and re-submission, which can delay a release or dilute a finished cut.
For distribution, a U rating removes age-based restrictions at the ticket window, which matters most in family-heavy centres and single-screen markets where school-going audiences drive weekend footfalls. It also gives television and streaming buyers one less compliance hurdle later, because a U film travels more easily across broadcast and OTT platforms.
The 195-minute exhibition question
At 3 hours and 15 minutes, Ramayana will constrain the number of shows each screen can run in a day. That puts more pressure on occupancy per show. But the U certificate gives exhibitors a cleaner family positioning, and the no-cut status gives marketers a simple proof point: the film is being presented as intended, for everyone.
For show programming, the runtime becomes a commercial input, not a detail. A multiplex can realistically schedule fewer full shows once intervals, cleaning and advertising blocks are factored in, so the release will be judged as much by occupancy and average ticket price as by raw show count.
Who is behind it
The film is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra. It stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman.
Source: Bollywood Hungama
