Diwali film picks for UAE audiences, from new releases to Bollywood classics
Ramayana: Part One hits UAE cinemas this week, and several older Bollywood Diwali favourites are available to stream.
Diwali falls on Sunday, November 8, and many families in the UAE plan a film night over the festive weekend. The big new release is Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part One, which opens in UAE cinemas on Thursday, November 5. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama and Sai Pallavi plays Sita, with Yash as Ravana. The film is being released worldwide in IMAX, and its second part is due around Diwali 2027. Advance bookings had reached about 20 crore rupees, roughly Dh7.7 million, by October 25.
For viewers staying home, Dilwali Diwali arrives on Netflix on Thursday, November 5. Directed by Ritesh Menon, it follows Ansh Sikka, played by Mihir Ahuja, who returns from years abroad to find his family's ideas clash with his own.
Bollywood has also set many classics around the festival. Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) opens with a Diwali worship scene, and is streaming on Netflix and Prime Video. Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein (2000), which was released over a Diwali weekend, builds a key turning point around the festival, while Sooraj Barjatya's Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) is known for its Diwali song Dhiktana.