Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Ramayana: Part 1, which was released in theatres on November 5, 2026, on the occasion of Diwali, became the talk of the town for its visual effects, blending of modernity, and music, which was composed by legendary Oscar winner Hans Zimmer. The most expensive film ever made in Indian cinema was directed by Nitesh Tiwari and bankrolled by Namit Malhotra, and it involved plenty of detailing involving camera movements, 3D effects, armour, weapons and so on.
But do you know that the special bamboo and cane armour dresses which were worn by Ranbir Kapoor as Rama and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman during the forest-exile sequences in the film have an Assam connection? The cane craftsmanship was done by Barpeta artisans. Found it interesting so far? Let's understand it in detail.
Assam's bamboo and cane armour
Assam, one of the Seven Sisters states of Northeastern India, has played a big role in the recent release of Ramayana on the silver screen. What began as a search for the right armour choice in Mumbai ultimately led to Assam's Barpeta district, where the special bamboo and cane dress was created. Jaynal Abdin, a craftsman from Barpeta, helped develop the special armour dress, and it was subsequently completed in Mumbai.
How was it designed?
The dress was crafted by an artisan from the Banglipara hamlet named Jaynal Abdin, in the Jania area of Barpeta district in western Assam, along with Nagen Biswas and their fellow craftsmen. The armour was made using Sarpat cane as its base. It is lightweight cane, native to Assam's Brahmaputra Valley, which features jute embellishments and carefully incorporated wooden elements.
Challenges in crafting the armour
According to costume designer Ajay Kumar, the process was particularly challenging and required considerable time, precision and patience. It took three to three and a half years to build specialised structural armours and props. The craftsmen created 30 to 35 pieces required for the battlefield sequences. However, the early all-cane prototypes proved too stiff and rigid for the actors to do the fighting sequences; the team later integrated wood and rubber components to ensure comfort and flexibility.
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