Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana’ is India’s most expensive film ever, budget crosses Rs 4,000 crore

Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious adaptation of Ramayana is now officially India’s most expensive film to date, with a budget exceeding Rs 4,000 crore across two parts. According to producer Namit Malhotra, the film is being made at a cost of nearly $500 million, placing it in the league of some of the biggest international productions.

Initially rumoured to be in the ₹1,600 crore range, the scale of Ramayana has expanded significantly. The film is being developed as a VFX-heavy project, intended for a grand IMAX release, and will feature AI dubbing technology for seamless regional language viewing, which is a first in Indian cinema. The visual effects are being handled by Prime Focus, the studio led by Malhotra, known for its work on international projects.

Speaking about the unprecedented scale of the production, Malhotra said, “No Indian film, by a long distance, comes close to it... We’re making the largest film in the world for the greatest story, the greatest epic, that the world should see.” He added that despite its budget, the production remains financially responsible compared to the costs of equivalent Hollywood blockbusters.

The film will be released in two parts, with the first slated for Diwali 2026 and the second for Diwali 2027. It stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravan, and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. The cast also includes Ravi Dubey, Lara Dutta, Vikrant Massey, and Arun Govil.

Malhotra described the project as an attempt to honour 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.”

At the launch of the film’s first motion poster, which featured animated glimpses of Ranbir and Yash’s characters, the original score by Oscar-winning composers Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman has fueled the mounting anticipation.

Ramayana will release in two parts on Diwali 2026 and 2027 respectively.