Bengaluru: At the trailer launch of Ramayana, actor-producer Yash confirmed that the two-part adaptation is being made on a combined budget of approximately ₹4,000 crore — roughly $480 million — and defended the way producer Namit Malhotra has talked about that scale.
What the ₹4,000 crore actually covers
Yash said the number applies to both installments, not one film, and includes post-production and promotional expenditure. That distinction matters because the earlier social media reaction treated Malhotra’s statement as a single-film production cost.
“The budget for both the movies combined is definitely ₹4,000 crore,” Yash said.
The Nitesh Tiwari-directed project is produced by Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, Yash plays Ravana and Sunny Deol plays Hanuman. The first part is scheduled for November 5, 2026, during Diwali, with the second installment planned for Diwali 2027.
- Combined budget: about ₹4,000 crore / $480 million for both films
- Scope: includes post-production and promotional spend
- Release one: November 5, 2026; release two: Diwali 2027
- Core cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash and Sunny Deol
Confidence as a global market signal
Yash argued that the viral response to Malhotra’s announcement was a reflection of Indian discomfort with confident claims, while Western markets may read humility as small scale. In his telling, the budget disclosure is less about accounting and more about how Indian cinema presents itself to international buyers and audiences.
“We need to prove the strength of the Indian film industry to the global market,” Yash said.
That framing treats a declared scale as a positioning tool: a project that names its full investment is asking to be judged as a global blockbuster rather than a modest domestic release. The announcement places Ramayana among the most ambitious Indian productions on record and makes the stated figure part of the film’s own marketing.
The release test
Yash also asked fans to speak about the film with pride and said he wants Ramayana to be an experience audiences can celebrate. He acknowledged that his other upcoming film, Toxic, has drawn mixed responses, and he said his commitment is to make Ramayana something fans can be proud of. He also asked audiences in Karnataka to back the project.
The appeal matters as the Diwali release nears and as the team carries the weight of a budget that is now part of the public conversation.
Source: India Weekly
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