Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana trailer drops on July 24, 2026, months after VFX debates and AI controversy forced reshoots and refinement. Ranbir and Yash will present the trailer at San Diego Comic-Con before it hits social media.

The Comic-Con strategy is bold. Bollywood films rarely premiere trailers at SDCC. It signals the filmmakers believe this is a global story, not just India-focused. Ramayana is being positioned as spectacle cinema with international ambitions. The VFX work better convince audiences why a Ramayana adaptation warrants eight months of noise and public argument.

The VFX Controversy That Became Marketing

Initial trailers faced criticism for VFX quality and rumors of AI-assisted animation. The filmmakers went back to work. That choice—to fix rather than defend—is costly and risky. But it also created narrative momentum. When the final trailer arrives, people will be watching to see if concerns were addressed.

The controversy accidentally became marketing. Audiences now care whether the VFX works. That’s attention money can’t buy.

Comic-Con Presentation and Global Reach

San Diego Comic-Con is where spectacle films announce themselves to an international audience. A Bollywood film presenting at SDCC acknowledges that audiences beyond India matter. It says the ambition is global, not regional. That changes the economic profile: a $100 million India gross becomes viable if international markets add $50+ million.

Yash and Ranbir in San Diego is a statement about scale and intent.

When Bollywood takes its film to Comic-Con, it’s betting that global audiences are ready for spectacle epics from Indian cinema.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)

Why would VFX controversy help a film?

Controversy creates expectations and attention. If audiences are watching specifically to verify whether VFX got fixed, they’re invested in the outcome. Fixed VFX now feels like a triumph. Poor VFX feels like failure. Either way, people show up opening weekend to know.