Spoiler alert. This piece gives away the climax of Ramayana: Part 1, its final shot and the post-credits scene. If you haven’t seen it yet, bookmark this and come back after the interval samosa has worn off.
Yes, we all know how the Ramayan ends. But Nitesh Tiwari’s film doesn’t end where the Ramayan ends. It ends at the exact moment the story turns from a family tragedy into a war, and then, after the credits, it hands the screen to the one character everybody in the theatre was waiting for. Here is the Ramayana Part 1 ending explained, scene by scene.
| Where does Part 1 end? | With Sita taken to Lanka and Ram setting out to find her |
| Last big moment | Jatayu’s fight with Ravan and his dying words to Ram |
| Post-credits scene? | Yes. Stay till the very end. |
| Who appears? | Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman |
| Sequel tease | Raghav Juyal as Meghanad |
| Part 2 release | Diwali 2028 |
Where Exactly Does Ramayana Part 1 Stop?
If you’re mapping it to the Valmiki Ramayan, Part 1 covers the Baal Kaand, the Ayodhya Kaand and most of the Aranya Kaand. Ravan’s rise, Ram’s childhood, the swayamvar, the exile and the years in the forest are all in. The film stops at the end of the Aranya Kaand: Sita is gone, Ram is broken, and the road to Kishkindha is about to open.
Ram has not met Hanuman, Sugriv or Vibhishan yet. Nobody has crossed the ocean. That is all Part 2 territory. It’s a smart place to cut, because the hero has lost everything and hasn’t started winning anything back. That’s the classic Baahubali-style cliffhanger, done the Ramayan way.
The Trap: Shurpanakha, the Golden Deer and the Lakshman Rekha
The final act is triggered by the Shurpanakha incident. Ravan’s sister (Rakul Preet Singh) is humiliated by Lakshman in the forest, and Ravan, who the film has spent its whole first half building as a king who never accepts an insult, decides to hit Ram where it hurts most.
The plan is the one we all know. Mareech (Saurabh Sachdeva) takes the form of a golden deer. Sita asks Ram to bring it back for her, Ram goes after it, and soon Lakshman follows too. Before leaving, Lakshman draws the famous protective line around the hut. Ravan arrives disguised as a wandering sage asking for alms, and Sita steps across the Lakshman Rekha to give them. In the next moment, the sage is gone and the king of Lanka has taken his place.
Jatayu’s Last Stand on the Pushpak Viman
This is where the film’s VFX budget earns every rupee. As Ravan flies Sita south in the Pushpak Viman, the old vulture king Jatayu, voiced by Anupam Kher, hears her cries and attacks. Talons rip through the golden flying chariot. It’s a bird against a demon king who has already defeated the gods, and Jatayu knows exactly how that ends. He fights anyway.
Ravan overpowers him and cuts off his wings, and Jatayu falls from the sky. While the chariot speeds away, Sita does the one thing she can: she drops her jewellery along the way, leaving a trail for Ram. Keep that detail in mind. It pays off after the credits.
Jatayu’s Dying Words: Why This Scene Matters Most
Ram and Lakshman return to an empty hut and start searching. They find Jatayu on the ground, barely alive. With his last breaths, he tells Ram what happened: Ravan took Sita, and he points the way.
In our Ramayana Part 1 review, we called this the film’s best piece of storytelling, and it’s worth explaining why. Jatayu’s narration does two jobs at once. Emotionally, it’s the first time in a long while that the film lets a moment breathe, and Ram’s grief as he performs the last rites of a bird who died for his wife lands hard. Structurally, it’s the film’s way of telling Ram, and us, how high the stakes for Part 2 are. Ravan is not some forest rakshasa. He is the man who rules the three worlds, and Ram now has to go to war with him with nothing but a bow and a brother.
Before the Credits: The Jewellery Reaches Kishkindha
Remember Sita’s jewellery? The film cuts to Kishkindha, the kingdom of the vanars, where Sugriv finds the ornaments that fell from the sky and hands them to Hanuman. Anyone who knows the epic will feel the shift right away: the story is about to get its greatest hero after Ram himself.
The Post-Credits Scene: Sunny Deol’s Hanuman Arrives
Do not leave when the credits start. Once the full credits end, the film saves its loudest moment for last: Sunny Deol makes his debut as Lord Hanuman.
The final shot is a giant Hanuman roaming through the forest. The makers keep his full face hidden, showing him in silhouette and from behind to build the mystery, while the Hanuman Chalisa plays in the background. He leaps into the air, shows the kind of strength that makes the ground shake, and roars “Jai Shree Ram”. If your theatre was anything like ours, that line got a bigger cheer than anything in the three hours before it.
It’s also a clever bit of marketing. By hiding the face, the makers have left Sunny Deol’s full Hanuman look as the big reveal of Part 2’s campaign.
Update (November 5, 2026): A clip of this post-credits scene has now gone viral on X and Instagram. It’s footage recorded in theatres, not an official release from the makers. It matches what we saw on the big screen, with Hanuman’s face still hidden. Neither the makers nor Sunny Deol have shared the scene officially yet, so the official face reveal is still to come.
For a deeper look at the scene, read our Ramayana post-credit scene explainer, and for what comes next, our guide to the Ramayana Part 2 release date, cast and story.
Meghanad Tease: Raghav Juyal Joins the War
The credits carry one more surprise. They tease Raghav Juyal as Meghanad (also called Indrajit), Ravan’s eldest son and the crown prince of Lanka. In the epic, Meghanad is the warrior who defeated Indra himself and whose weapon strikes down Lakshman on the battlefield. Juyal, known for his dancing and his unhinged villain turn in Kill, is an interesting choice. If he brings that energy, Part 2’s villain side could be stronger than Part 1’s.
Ramayana Part 2 Release Date: Diwali 2028
Part 2 was originally planned for Diwali 2027, one year after Part 1. That has now moved: Ramayana Part 2 is slated for Diwali 2028. Reports say the extra time is needed for the war sequences, which is fair given that the second half of the epic is basically one long battle.
What to Expect in Ramayana Part 2
Going by the Kishkindha Kaand, Sundar Kaand and Yuddha Kaand, Part 2 has a lot of ground to cover:
- Ram meets Hanuman, the meeting the post-credits scene is building towards.
- Sugriv and Bali, and the most debated arrow in the whole epic.
- Hanuman’s leap to Lanka, Ashok Vatika and Lanka Dahan. Expect this to be the VFX showpiece.
- Ram Setu and the vanar sena crossing the ocean.
- Vibhishan leaving Ravan’s side.
- The war: Kumbhakaran, Meghanad, Lakshman’s injury and Hanuman carrying the Sanjeevani mountain, and finally Ram against Ravan.
One wish from our side: Part 1 gave Lakshman very little to do. Part 2, with Meghanad and the Sanjeevani episode, is built around him. Here’s hoping he finally gets his due.
Ramayana Part 1 Ending: Quick FAQs
Does Ramayana Part 1 have a post-credits scene?
Yes. It comes after the full credits and features Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman.
Is Hanuman’s face shown in Ramayana Part 1?
No. His full face is kept hidden. He is shown in silhouette and from behind.
Does Ram find Sita in Part 1?
No. The film ends with Sita in Lanka and Ram beginning his search.
Who plays Meghanad in Ramayana?
Raghav Juyal, teased in the credits of Part 1.
When does Ramayana Part 2 release?
Diwali 2028.
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