Ramayana becomes India’s Most Expensive Film at £375m

Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana will be the most expensive Indian film ever made, with a reported production budget exceeding £375 million.

The two-part epic, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, is being developed at nearly £400 million, on par with Hollywood’s most ambitious cinematic ventures.

Ramayana marks a bold, independent move by Malhotra and his Prime Focus team, without the involvement of external investors.

His vision is to craft a globally resonant film that reimagines India’s most revered epic through a new technological and cinematic lens.

Despite the huge budget, Malhotra said the film goes beyond box office numbers:

“This isn’t just about money. It’s about telling the greatest story ever told, and doing it in a way the world has never seen.

“This is a story that every Indian knows. Now it’s time the world sees it too.”

The cast includes Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravan.

Sunny Deol will play Hanuman, with supporting roles from Lara Dutta, Ravi Dubey, and Vikrant Massey. Amitabh Bachchan’s involvement is still unconfirmed, though his name has been linked to the project.

Malhotra, who is also CEO of Prime Focus, the VFX powerhouse behind Inception, Interstellar, and Dune, is leveraging advanced production tools for Ramayana.

The film will feature IMAX-ready visuals and pioneering AI-powered dubbing. This will allow actors’ voices to be translated seamlessly across multiple languages, eliminating the need for separate recordings and offering a potential blueprint for future pan-India releases.

A standout element of the film is its music.

Academy Award winners Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman are collaborating for the first time, creating an original score that promises to be as grand as the visuals.

Their East-meets-West partnership is expected to deliver a stirring sonic experience to match the film’s scale.

A motion poster released earlier in July 2025 offered the first glimpse of the animated characters and orchestral score, quickly generating buzz online.

While plot details remain under wraps, reports suggest Part 1 could conclude with the dramatic ‘Sita Haran’ episode.

Part 1 is set for release during Diwali 2026, with Part 2 following in 2027.

Malhotra admitted many thought he was “crazy” to take on a project of this magnitude. But he remains unfazed.

He added: “My goal isn’t profit. It’s to create the largest film in the world for the greatest story, the greatest epic that the world should see.”