Explained: Why Sunny Deol's Lord Hanuman is missing from Ramayana trailer

The trailer for Ramayana: Part One has been widely praised for its grand visuals, Yash's imposing Ravana and Ranbir Kapoor's serene Lord Ram. Yet, amid all the excitement, one question continues to dominate social media: Where is Sunny Deol's Lord Hanuman?For many fans, the absence of Lord Hanuman, one of the most beloved figures in the Ramayana, came as a surprise. But there is a valid explanation behind it.Unlike previous adaptations, Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana is being told across two films. The first instalment appears to focus on establishing the world of Ayodhya, Lord Ram's journey into exile, Sita's abduction and Ravana's rise as the central antagonist. Within that narrative, the makers have chosen to introduce the story's principal players - Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Ravana - while seemingly holding back one of its biggest reveals.Lord Hanuman enters the epic only after Lord Ram's exile and after Sita's abduction. While he goes on to become one of the defining forces in the battle against Ravana, his role expands significantly in the latter half of the story. Saving his full introduction for the second instalment, or teasing him only towards the end of the first film, would therefore fit naturally within the narrative. It also makes cinematic sense.Lord Hanuman is not merely another character in the Ramayana. He has an enormous devotional following of his own, with millions worshipping him across the world. Revealing Sunny Deol's look as Lord Hanuman is likely to become a major event in itself, one that the makers may not want competing with the introductions of Lord Ram, Ravana and the rest of the film's central characters in a single trailer. Fans have, in fact, arrived at a similar conclusion.While one X user wrote, "The #Ramayan trailer is 4 mins and 10 secs, and yet they didn't have time to show the main character Hanuman," many others felt the omission was deliberate. Another user wrote, "Sunny Deol as Hanuman Ji should be the climax," suggesting that the character's arrival would make for an "epic cliffhanger" before the sequel.The theory also finds support in Sunny Deol's own comments. Speaking at a special screening of the trailer in Delhi earlier this month, the actor revealed that he had only recently begun filming his portions."I have done only a little work on the film so far. I still have a long way to go. I would like to thank Waheguruji for giving me the opportunity to play Hanuman Ji," he said. Calling the role one of immense responsibility, Deol added, "It is not easy to portray him, but it is going to be a great experience because he is innocent, strong and powerful."Director Nitesh Tiwari has also hinted that Ramayana: Part One ends on a cliffhanger. Speaking at an event in San Diego, he said, "Where we leave in Part One is something which is, you can call it a cliffhanger, something which will make people want to watch Part Two the moment they leave the theatre." While Tiwari did not specify what that cliffhanger is, it has only strengthened speculation that Lord Hanuman's arrival could be one of the film's biggest surprises.For now, the makers have neither revealed Sunny Deol's look nor explained his absence from the trailer. But if the storytelling follows the chronology of the epic, audiences may get a brief tease of Hanuman towards the end of Ramayana: Part One, with the character taking centre stage in the second film.Ramayana: Part One stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. The ensemble cast also includes Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Arun Govil and Sheeba Chaddha, among others. The film releases in theatres on November 8 this year, while Ramayana: Part Two is scheduled for Diwali 2027.- EndsWritten by Lakshita PopliPublished By: Vineeta KumarPublished On: Jul 30, 2026 15:56 IST