Ramayana: Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Sheeba Chaddha's Manthra step into royal politics

The promotional rollout for Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming two-part epic Ramayana continues with the official release of individual character posters featuring actors Lara Dutta and Sheeba Chaddha. While both actors were previously confirmed to play Queen Kaikeyi and Manthara respectively, the newly released studio stills offer a detailed look at their on-screen transformations following earlier set leaks and trailer snippets.In her poster, Lara Dutta appears as Queen Kaikeyi in ornate bridal-style royal attire, complete with a heavily embellished tiara, maang tika, layered pearl necklaces, and traditional nose ring. Her expression carries a stern, conflicted glare.Sheeba Chaddha’s poster introduces her as Manthara, draped in a dark earthy shawl and traditional silver head ornament. Gripping a wooden staff in one hand, Chaddha’s character looks directly into the camera with an intense, calculating expression.The studio shared the visual stills on Instagram along with a caption. It read, "A queen. A mother. Two wishes that would betray a father’s love and change Rama’s destiny forever. A cunning mind. Whose whispers would turn a mother’s love into a kingdom’s darkest hour. Lara Dutta as Queen Kaikeyi. Sheeba Chadha as Manthara." The latest poster releases follow the character poster of veteran actor Arun Govil as King Dashrath. Govil, who famously portrayed Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's 1987 television series Ramayan, returns to the narrative universe in the role of the Ayodhya patriarch.Apart from actors Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi playing Lord Rama and Goddess Sita respectively, Ramayana features Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The upcoming epic has been mounted as a two-part cinematic saga.Produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios alongside DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, the first instalment is slated for a worldwide theatrical release in Diwali 2026, with its sequel following in Diwali 2027.The film will release in IMAX across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam languages. Sony Pictures is handling global distribution outside India, while Dharma Productions is distributing the film in the Hindi market.- Ends