Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana is slated to be India's most expensive film ever.
It will be released in two parts, the first of which will hit theatres in Diwali.
Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi lead the saga.
Produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana will be released in two parts, the first scheduled for Diwali 2026 and the second for Diwali 2027. The mammoth saga stars Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol. Designed for a grand IMAX release, the project will feature AI dubbing technology for seamless regional language viewing, which is a first in Indian cinema.
Ramayana's Colossal Budget
Namit Malhotra's Ramayana touts itself as the most ambitious Indian film ever made. Initial ports had claimed that the two-part film is being mounted on a budget of Rs 1600 crore ($100 million for each part). But the film's producer, Namit Malhotra, clarified later that the real number is much higher, at Rs 4000 crore. Speaking on The Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast, he emphasised, "When we set out to make it, 6-7 years ago, when we really got serious about mounting it, everybody called me a lunatic, because no Indian film comes close to it budgetwise. To put it simply, it will be about $500 million by the time we are done with both the films - Part 1 and Part 2, which is over Rs 4000 crore."
The budget is much higher than the combined production costs of Adipurush ( Rs 550 crore), RRR ( Rs 500 crore), and Kalki 2898 AD ( Rs 600 crore). If a comparison is to be posited with back-to-back productions, Baahubali is in the arena. However, the two films from SS Rajamouli cost 'just' Rs 430 crore, one-ninth of what Ramayana will.
Ramayana's Global Team
The level and scale of international team assembled propels the excitement. 8-time Oscar-winning VFX studio DNEG, which has worked on Interstellar (2014), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), and all three Dunes, props up the films. The production team for the film includes the likes of Ramsey Avery, who worked on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Ravi Bansal, who worked on Dune 2. For the first time ever, Oscar-winning composers Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman are collaborating on a soundtrack. Hollywood action choreographers Terry Notary (Avengers, Planet of the Apes) and Guy Norris (Mad Max: Fury Road) are designing the massive battle sequences.
Ramayana Cast Fees
According to Times of India, Ranbir Kapoor charged Rs 75 crore per part, totaling Rs 150 crore— a big leap from the pay grade he commanded on earlier projects. For Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva, he earned Rs 25-30 crore. For the blockbuster Animal, he reportedly bagged Rs 30-35 crore plus a profit share.
Kannada superstar Yash, who plays Ravan in Ramayana, is charging Rs 100 crore both the parts. Yash is also reportedly charging a profit-share as a co-producer of the film. He charged Rs 30-35 crore for the KGF franchise. He'll next be seen in Geetu Mohandas' Toxic.
Sunny Deol, set to play Lord Hanuman, is taking home Rs 20 crore per part—totaling Rs 40 crore (per TOI). This hinges closely with his Gadar 2 payday, which cemented his box office resurgence.
Sai Pallavi, trying to make a foothold in Hindi cinema, has raised her fee from her usual South Indian projects. She's reportedly earning Rs 6 crore per part (per TOI), totaling Rs 12 crore for the franchise. It's significantly less compared to her male co-stars, but it's a modest spike above her usual ballpark pay of Rs 2.5-3 crore remuneration for South Indian projects.
Ramayana's Total Runtime
In an interview with Collider earlier this year, Ranbir Kapoor hinted at the runtime, "it's nothing less than Lord of the Rings. It's our greatest epic spectacle coming from our country, and this was just a teaser. We have six hours of epic visuals and epic action sequences, emotions." There has been no official confirmation yet of the duration. But we can expect a similar estimate.
Ramayana As Cultural Celebration
Malhotra described the project as an attempt to honour and celebrate India’s cultural heritage. “We’re taking something that we have pride in — it’s a foundational piece of our culture — and presenting it in the grandest form possible,” he said. “There has to be pride that must come through, in every Indian first, and then every other person in the world.”
Elaborating his vision further, he added, “It's a global film from the day we start. I'm not trying to make it to appease Indian people in India. … If you go and watch Ramayana and your family watches it, and people in India watch it, what's the difference? It should speak to you like any other film.”
