Ramayana Teaser Criticism, Namit Malhotra Says "We're Listening Closely"

After a long wait, the teaser of Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, was released last week. The first glimpse into the world of the epic spectacle, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, led to a horde of reactions online-some positive, others not so much.

While a section trolled Ramayana, mounted on a Rs 4,000 crore budget, over VFX quality, another was just not convinced about Ranbir Kapoor playing Rama. Namit Malhotra took to social media earlier today to thank everyone for the overwhelming response, and also reiterated how they are "listening closely and working diligently."

The Post

Namit Malhotra wrote, "Dear all, the response over the past few days has truly been overwhelming, inspiring, and humbling. Seeing how our Rama continues to touch so many hearts across the world fills me with deep humility and joy. I cherish all of the conversations, the excitement, and feedback. This is a story etched in the souls of billions and deserves our utmost care."

The post continued, "The many thousands of artists and collaborators who have been working away passionately are enthusiastic and energized to get out there and continue to deliver the absolute best in every department. We're listening closely, working diligently, and pouring every effort possible into honouring it with the reverence it holds."

🕉️ pic.twitter.com/gtF7GqoiuZ

— Namit Malhotra (@malhotra_namit) April 7, 2026

"This is our Ramayana. It belongs to us all, and that shared emotion and massive responsibility to make every Indian proud is what drives me forward every single day. What you've seen so far is just the beginning. We are all striving to bring our epic to life this Diwali on the biggest screens to celebrate our culture and our history," concluded the post.

Namit Malhotra On Making Ramayana A "Culture-First" Phenomenon

"Because in the world of religion, there's too much translation and too much sensitivity. This is truly what I think is a foundational piece of Indian culture, and that's why I feel very comfortable with it, because that's something that we carry with pride. We celebrate it. We share with the world," he told Collider.com.

"As far as the business side is concerned, this question has been asked of me a few times, but bringing a film like Ramayana to the world after having been third generation in the business is a privilege, is an opportunity. So at this point in time, I'm less focused on the business side, but the passion of telling this and showing this to the world has really usurped my senses," he added.

Namit Malhotra then said, "I'm much more, at heart, trying to do the justice I can to a film or a story of this size, such that it really resonates in the hearts of people, at which point the business is done. Business will not be the issue. So, getting the first part in is really where all the time, effort, money, and energy is focused so that everything else then becomes a line of dominoes that hopefully play out as they should."

Ramayana Teaser

The teaser introduces the audience to Ranbir Kapoor's many moods as Lord Rama. From killing a monster to his exile in the forest, the two-minute, 38-second teaser shows Ranbir embracing the mythical figure with its celebrated grandeur, grace, poise, and regality.

Ramayana has been made on a staggering budget of Rs 4,000 crore.

Speaking to Prakhar Gupta, producer Namit Malhotra revealed, "When we set out to make this six or seven years ago, people thought I was a lunatic because no Indian film comes close to this scale. Put simply, the budget will be around $500 million for both parts combined, which is over Rs 4,000 crore."

Ramayana Part 1 is set to be released on Diwali 2026. The film also stars Sai Pallavi, Yash, Sunny Deol, and Ravie Dubey.

ALSO READ | Ramayana's Viral 'Blue Turban Guy' Exists And Is Not AI: "Real Me, Real Ranbir Kapoor"

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Trump Vows To Find F-15 "Leak", Threatens Media

The second F-15 airman had been missing for hours. Iran, according to President Donald Trump, had no idea. Then a "mole" leaked the information to the media, and a hunt began.

"They Didn't Know There Was Somebody Missing"

Speaking in the White House briefing room on Monday, Trump said a media report revealing that US forces had rescued one F-15 crew member but were still searching for a second had complicated the rescue operation by alerting Iran.

"We're looking very hard to find that leaker. They basically said that we have one, and there's somebody missing. Well, [Iran] didn't know there was somebody missing until this leaker gave the information," Trump said.

Trump said the disclosure forced the US military into a far more difficult position. "It became a much more difficult operation because a leaker leaked that we have one, we've rescued one, but there's another one out there that we're trying to get," he said.

Also read: "Entire Iran Can Be Taken Out In One Night": Trump's Warning Before Deadline

"Give It Up Or Go to Jail"

Trump said US authorities would go directly to the media organisation that published the story and demand the identity of the source, warning of prosecution if they refused. It was not immediately clear which media outlet Trump was talking about.

"We think we'll be able to find it out, because we're going to go to the media company that released it, and we're going to say, 'national security, give it up or go to jail,'" he said.

Iran Issued A Bounty After The Story Broke

Trump said after the report was published, Iran put out a public notice offering a reward for the capture of the missing pilot, which further complicated the search and rescue effort.

"The country, Iran, put out a major notice... offering a very big award for anybody that captures the pilot," Trump said.

"We have to find that leaker, because that's a sick person. Probably didn't realise the extent of how bad it was. I can't imagine that the person did, but we're going to find out. It's national security, and the person who did the story will go to jail if he doesn't say," Trump said.

Inside The US Military's Daring Rescue Op

The F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over southwestern Iran on Friday, the first confirmed loss of a US combat aircraft inside Iran since the war began on February 28. 

Both crew members, a pilot and a weapons systems officer, ejected. The pilot was rescued soon after, but the second airman could not be immediately located.

According to the New York Times, Navy SEAL Team 6 commandos carried out the rescue, with hundreds of special operations troops and other military personnel operating deep inside Iranian territory. 

US aircraft dropped bombs and opened fire on Iranian convoys to keep them away from where the airman was hiding. Commandos also fired their weapons to hold off Iranian forces as they moved in, though they did not engage in a direct firefight, the report added.

Before the airman was located, the CIA launched a deception campaign, spreading word inside Iran that US forces had already found him and were attempting a ground extraction. 

President Donald Trump said Monday that the two airmen whose fighter jet was downed over Iran are “recovering very well.”

“They are both recovering very well. They were both injured, and they're doing well,” Trump told reporters at the White House Easter Egg Roll.

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"Difficult To Keep Him Out": Karthik's Clear Hint To BCCI Over RCB Star

Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik believes it will be difficult to keep Devdutt Padikkal out of the Indian team for long, given the manner in which he is batting in IPL 2026 following stellar domestic performances. Padikkal starred in RCB's big win against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, scoring a blistering 50 off 29 balls. Asked about Padikkal's composed knock at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Karthik, who is also RCB's batting coach, highlighted his composure during a tough initial phase before opening up.

"The first thing that stands out is his determination. On a pitch like this, when runs don't come easily at the start, many batters try to force a big shot and end up giving their wicket away. Devdutt showed great courage to stay patient when the going was tough," Karthik told Star Sports.

Karthik also suggested that Padikkal's current form would make it difficult for the BCCI selection committee to keep him out of the Indian team for much longer.

"Once he got that first boundary, you could see him switch gears. He's playing proper cricketing shots and hitting the ball with distance. If he continues batting like this, it will be difficult to keep him out of the Indian team for long. He has scored heavily in domestic cricket and we know he's a quality player.

"What's also impressive is the way he's stepping up as a leader in the Karnataka dressing room. Even at 25, he contributes with his ideas and leadership, and that's great to see," Karthik added.

Padikkal's innings featured five boundaries and two sixes, helping RCB reach a mammoth 250/3 after Tim David smashed a 25-ball 70.

RCB won the match by 43 runs, consigning CSK to their third successive defeat.

Former India captain Anil Kumble shared his thoughts on CSK's early challenges in the tournament.

"It's a massive concern for Chennai. If your two most experienced batters, Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad, haven't fired in the first three matches, it becomes a serious challenge. The rest of the batting line-up, apart from Samson and MS Dhoni, is quite young.

"You need at least one of your experienced batters to step up and deliver a big innings. Unfortunately, in the first three games, things haven't gone Chennai's way. It's still early in the season, but they will need to tighten things up quickly," Kumble said.

During his blazing swashbuckling knock, David struck eight sixes and three fours, getting his runs at a strike rate of 280.

Karthik reflected on David's powerful innings and said, "He has a very smooth swing, long levers and all the ingredients required to hit big shots.

"For him, it's about ensuring those elements remain consistent in practice. Because he bats in the middle order, he often gets fewer balls in a match compared to top-order batters. So, in the nets, it's important that he faces enough deliveries and stays in a good rhythm.

"The rest of his game is already very strong. Over the last 12-18 months, he has been one of the most consistent batters in the world in this format." RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, who led the team to its maiden title last season, was not to be left behind in the run feast, chipping in with 48 off just 19 balls, and Kevin Pietersen termed the knock a "turning point" of the match.

"You could see the confidence in Rajat Patidar. He wasn't satisfied with just winning the title. He wanted to contribute more. Tim David's innings was outstanding and filled with big sixes, but for me, Patidar's knock was the turning point.

"When Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt took some time to get going, Patidar came in and accelerated beautifully. The way he adapted to the conditions and found those sixes with such ease changed the momentum of the game," Pietersen said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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US Almost Did Not Rescue Its F-15 Airman Thinking It Was An Iranian Trap

Navy SEAL Team 6 special operations troops went into the mountains of Iran on Saturday night to rescue the missing US F-15 airman. But before that, the mission came close to never launching at all.

US President Donald Trump told Axios that when a radio message came through from the stranded weapons systems officer of the downed F-15E, US officials initially suspected it was an Iranian deception designed to lure American forces into a trap.

Trump told the US news outlet the airman sent a short, unusual message after ejecting from the aircraft. "He said: 'Power be to God.'" 

After the radio message came through, they suspected he might already be in Iranian custody and that the Iranians were "sending false signals" to draw US forces in.

Trump also said the US military had "beeping information" about the officer's location, which was being tracked even as doubts about the radio message grew.

As per the report, people who knew the officer confirmed he was a religious person.

"Thousands Were Hunting Him Down"

The F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over southwestern Iran on Friday, the first confirmed loss of a US combat aircraft inside Iran since the war began on 28 February. Both crew members ejected. The pilot was recovered shortly after, but the weapons systems officer could not be immediately located.

7,000 Feet Up, Alone, Armed With Handgun: US Airman's 48 Hours In Iran

Speaking to Axios an hour after confirming the rescue, Trump said that "thousands of these savages were hunting him down."

"Even the population was looking for him. They offered people a bonus if they captured him," he said.

Trump said Iran shot down the F-15 using a shoulder-fired missile, adding, "They got lucky."

The crew member survived more than 24 hours in the mountains while wounded before being rescued in a special forces operation on Saturday. Around 200 soldiers from special operations units participated in the rescue, Trump said.

How The CIA Bought Time

Before the airman's location was confirmed, the CIA launched a deception campaign of its own, spreading word inside Iran that US forces had already found him and were attempting a ground extraction. The aim was to buy time and throw Iranian search teams off course.

Inside The "Most Daring" Rescue Op In US History: What We Know, And Don't

The CIA used what officials described as "unique capabilities" to track the airman as he moved through mountainous terrain and avoided locals. Once his precise location was pinpointed, it was shared with the White House, the Pentagon and the US military, and a special forces team was inserted nearby on Saturday night.

According to the New York Times, Navy SEAL Team 6 commandos led the rescue, with hundreds of special operations troops and other military personnel operating deep inside Iranian territory. US aircraft dropped bombs and opened fire on Iranian convoys to keep them away from the airman's position. 

Iran Says The Operation Failed

Iran's military denied that the rescue took place. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for the military's central command, Khatam Al-Anbiya, said the US operation had been "completely foiled."

"The so-called US military rescue operation, planned as a deception and escape mission at an abandoned airport in southern Isfahan under the pretext of recovering the pilot of a downed aircraft, was completely foiled," he said in a video statement on state television.

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Virat Kohli Scripts History, Shatters Rohit Sharma's Sensational Record In T20s

Royal Challengers Bengaluru star batter Virat Kohli scripted history as he achieved a stunning record during the IPL 2026 match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. Virat scored just 28 off just 18 deliveries but in the process, he surpassed Rohit Sharma to achieve the record of scoring the most runs against a single opposition in T20 cricket. He currently has 1,188 against CSK - the most by any batter against a single team in T20 cricket. Rohit has scored 1,161 runs against Kolkata Knight RIders during his time with Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers in the IPL. Incidentally, Kohli also holds the third spot in the elite list as he has slammed 1159 runs against Punjab Kings.

Coming to the match, Devdutt Padikkal and Tim David hit a strong fifties as Royal Challengers Bengaluru rode on a superlative top-order show to post the highest total of this IPL season, a mammoth 250 for 3 against Chennai Super Kings.

Sent in to bat, Padikkal slammed a 29-ball 50, while opener Philip Salt made a 30-ball 46 to provide the platform.

Skipper Rajat Patidar (48 off 19 balls) and Tim David (70 off 25 balls) then hit some lusty blows, smashing 99 runs in 36 balls to take RCB to a mammoth total.

For CSK, Shivam Dube (1/30), Anshul Kamboj (1/52) and Jamie Overton (1/42) were among wickets.

Padikkal said he was relieved to see Tim David take charge of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) innings.

Padikkal, who struck a fluent half-century off 29 balls, admitted the innings needed acceleration at the right time.

"I think at the strategic timeout as well, we had to, we knew that we had to keep going and it was an important phase from there on and I'm probably glad that I got out because the way Tim went from there, it was incredible," he said to broadcasters in mid-innings break.

He also explained that the pitch demanded caution early on before it became better to bat on. "I think it was a bit tacky early on, especially with the new ball wasn't coming on that well and we have to make sure that we don't lose too many wickets. We understand that in the Chinnaswamy, if we have wickets in hand in the last five, six overs, we can really maximize and that's what we did," said Padikkal.

He further said setting targets at the venue was difficult. "Not really, to be honest. It's very hard to set a target here in Chinnaswamy. It's important that the moment you have that momentum behind you, you have to just keep going."

(With agency inputs)

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Who Is Ashok Sharma? Pacer Who Clocked 154.2 Kmph, Fastest Ball Of IPL 2026

Ashok Sharma, 23, the Gujarat Titans pacer, made history in Ahmedabad on Saturday. In a terrific display of fast bowling, the youngster clocked 154 kmph on the final delivery of the 16th over - the fastest delivery of IPL 2026, surpassing Anrich Nortje. Two balls earlier, he had clocked 150.7 kmph. Ashok Sharma is a young medium pacer from Rajasthan who has impressed many with his swing-bowling capabilities, according to the IPL website.

"Ashok is rated highly for being able to swing the ball both ways, while also maintaining accuracy and consistency with his line and length. He has been part of the Rajasthan Royals camp in the past, where he was a net bowler and earned praise from many players in the squad. He also impressed the KKR management at their trials camp and was bought by the franchise for INR 55 lakh in the 2022 TATA IPL Auction," wrote iplt20.com.

"In IPL 2025, he moved to RR and then made his way to Gujarat Titans at the 2026 auction, with the Ahmedabad-based franchise paying INR 90 lakh for his services."

In 11 T20 matches, he has taken 33 wickets. He has also played four first-class matches (14 wickets) and seven List A matches (13 wickets).

Rajasthan Royals posted 210 for six against Gujarat Titans in an Indian Premier League match on Saturday.
Opting to bat, openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (55 off 36 balls) and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (31 of 18) stitched 70 runs off 38 balls for the opening wicket to lay the foundation for the challenging total.

Dhruv Jurel emerged as the star with the bat for RR, making 75 off 42 balls with the help of four boundaries and five hits over the fence.

For GT, Kagiso Rabada (2/42) picked up two wickets.

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🌍 🔥 Current Situation in the Gulf Region

Iran vs 🇺🇸 United States Tensions remain very high, mainly due to: Iran’s regional influence (Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon) U.S. military presence in the Gulf There have been occasional missile/drone attacks involving proxy groups. 🇮🇱 Israel vs 🇮🇷 Iran This is the most serious current conflict risk Key issues: Iran’s nuclear program Israel targeting Iranian-backed forces Direct confrontation risk has increased compared to previous years 🇾🇪 Yemen (Houthis) Situation The Houthi group (supported by Iran) is: Attacking ships in the Red Sea Targeting Saudi/UAE interests This is affecting global trade routes 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia & 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates Both countries are: Strengthening defense systems Trying to avoid full-scale war Saudi Arabia has recently improved relations with Iran, reducing some tension ⚠️ Is There a Full Gulf War Right Now? 👉 NO full-scale Gulf War like 1991 or 2003 is happening right now But: Situation is unstable Multiple small conflicts + proxy wars Risk of escalation is high 📊 What Makes It Dangerous Now? Proxy wars (not direct war) Advanced weapons (drones, missiles) Shipping attacks affecting oil & economy Involvement of global powers 🧠 Simple Summary ❌ No official “Gulf War” ⚠️ High tension across Middle East 🔥 Multiple mini-conflicts happening