Producer Namit Malhotra has claimed that the two-part epic Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi, is being made on a staggering combined budget of approximately Rs 4,000 crores. This makes it the most expensive Indian film ever produced, dwarfing previous big-budget productions. Malhotra, who is also the CEO of Prime Focus and DNEG (an Oscar-winning VFX studio known for Hollywood blockbusters), revealed that the project is being entirely self-funded.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana features a stellar cast including Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. The first part is slated for a Diwali 2026 release, with the second part following in 2027.
Many are skeptical about the producer's tall claim, though. "He must be exaggerating like crazy. The two movies will have to become the biggest hits in the history of Indian cinema. Since that is statistically most improbable, they are not fools to invest so much. Even if the budget is about Rs 3,000 crores, they will have to rely on the foreign market. They might be planning to dub the movie into English and other foreign languages, but these are untested markets for Indian cinema," a commentator wrote.
Suppose the first part of Ramayana becomes a decent performer in one or two foreign languages during Diwali 2026. In that case, it might provide a template for other movies like the Mahesh Babu-Rajamouli movie and Prabhas' Spirit to dream of going for international releases.
