Ranbir Kapoor and Yash starrer 'Ramayana' becomes India’s costliest film with £375 million budget

Highlights:

• Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, will be released in two parts on Diwali 2026 and 2027.
• Producer Namit Malhotra confirmed the combined budget is over £375 million (₹4,000 crore).
• The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, and Sunny Deol, with music by Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman.
• It will use AI dubbing and IMAX-scale VFX from Prime Focus for a global cinematic release.

Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is officially the most expensive Indian film ever made, with a staggering production budget exceeding £375 million (₹4,000 crore). Confirmed by producer Namit Malhotra, the two-part epic is being developed at nearly £400 million, placing it alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest projects in terms of scale and ambition.

The project, backed entirely by Malhotra’s team without outside investment, is being hailed as a landmark cultural and cinematic moment for India. With its use of cutting-edge technology, an international musical collaboration, and a cast of some of the country's biggest names, Ramayana is being positioned as a visual retelling of India’s most revered epic for global audiences.

  Fans await Ramayana teaser as early reviews spark buzz online  Instagram/iamnamitmalhotra  

VFX, AI dubbing and a grand IMAX vision

Malhotra, who is also the CEO of Prime Focus, the VFX house behind Inception, Dune, and Interstellar, is bringing the same scale of production to Ramayana. From AI-powered dubbing to ensure effortless multilingual release to custom-built IMAX-ready visuals, the film is expected to be a technological leap for Indian cinema.

The use of AI dubbing marks a first for India, with actors’ voices being translated seamlessly across languages without additional recording, potentially revolutionising how pan-India films are made.

Star-studded cast to bring the epic to life

Leading the film is Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, alongside Sai Pallavi as Sita and Kannada superstar Yash as Ravan. Sunny Deol plays Hanuman, with support from Ravi Dubey, Lara Dutta, and Vikrant Massey. Although Amitabh Bachchan’s name has been linked to the project, his role has not been officially confirmed.

The story will unfold across two instalments, with Part 1 slated for Diwali 2026 and Part 2 arriving in 2027. Sources suggest the first part may end with the pivotal ‘Sita Haran’ episode, though plot specifics remain tightly under wraps.

Zimmer and Rahman to compose original soundtrack

Adding further weight to the project is its musical team, Academy Award winners Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman. Their collaboration for Ramayana is in fact a rare union of East and West and is expected to deliver a stirring, cinematic score that matches the film's scale.

A motion poster launched earlier this month gave fans the first animated glimpse of the characters and set the tone for the scale of storytelling. The visuals, backed by a teaser of the original score, have already begun building buzz among audiences.

  AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer smile together in viral selfie  Instagram/arrahman  

A cultural milestone, not just a blockbuster

For Malhotra, this film goes beyond box office numbers. Speaking on Prakhar Gupta’s podcast, he said, “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.” He added that while the budget may seem large, it’s still more cost-effective than many comparable Hollywood tentpoles.

The producer also emphasised the deeply personal nature of the film, calling it a tribute to India's heritage. “This is a story that every Indian knows. Now it’s time the world sees it too,” he said.

With production fully underway, Ramayana is poised to become a milestone not only in Indian filmmaking but also in how ancient narratives are brought to screen with new-age tools.