Salman Khan on Ramayana: Actor Says Focus Should Be On Ram, Sita, Not ₹4,000 Crore Budget

Actor Salman Khan has weighed in on the conversation surrounding Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, urging audiences to look beyond its reported ₹4,000 crore budget and visual effects. At the trailer launch of his upcoming film Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace in Mumbai, Khan said discussions about the epic should centre on its story, characters and the scriptures it draws from rather than its production scale.

Salman Khan says Ramayana discussion should focus on its characters

Speaking at the event, Salman said, “I just think Ramayana ka charcha Ramayana pe hona chahiye na ki VFX and cost of production par (A film on Ramayana should not be seen just for the VFX or cost of production). I think this narrative ki 4000 (budget of Ramayana) aur VFX, VFX, VFX, I just don’t think ki that is correct (The narrative over ₹4,000 crore budget or the VFX is not correct)."

He further stressed that the conversation should return to the central figures of the epic. “I just think ki Ramayana ka charcha Ramayana ke upar hi hona chahiye (The discussion should be around Ramayana) – Ram, Ravana, Sita, on the scriptures."

Khan also spoke about the qualities associated with Lord Rama and drew a comparison with his own character in Maatrubhumi. “Ram ji ki kya qualities theen (What qualities did Lord Rama have)? Best husband, best father, the best warrior, the best son and best brother. Maatrubhumi me is character ke andar ye saari qualities hain (My character in Maatrubhumi has the same qualities)," he said. He also announced that audiences above 75 years of age would be charged ₹11 per ticket for the film.

About Ramayana: Rise of a Legend

Based on sage Valmiki's Ramayan and Goswami Tulsidas's 16th-century devotional poem Ramcharitmanas, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend brings the ancient epic to the big screen under the direction of Nitesh Tiwari. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Yash as Ravana and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman.

The ensemble also includes Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Arun Govil and Lara Dutta. The film explores the story of Rama, his marriage to Sita, their exile and the events that set the stage for his conflict with Ravana.

In its review, Outlook India gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, appreciating its visual scale, production design and immersive VFX but arguing that its storytelling does not match its technical ambition. The review singled out Yash's portrayal of Ravana as one of the film's strongest aspects, while finding Ranbir Kapoor's Rama less convincing. It also noted that the relationship between Ram and Sita lacks emotional depth and that important characters such as Bharat and Shatrughan receive little attention. The review concluded that despite its impressive cinematic world, the film struggles to capture the emotional and philosophical depth that has made the Ramayana endure.