- The teaser of Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor, was released last week generating mixed reactions
- Producer Namit Malhotra focuses on passion over business for the Rs 4,000 crore Ramayana film
- Ramayana Part 1 is scheduled for release on Diwali 2026 featuring Sai Pallavi and Sunny Deol
After a lot of wait, the teaser of Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, was released last week. The first glimpse into the world of the epic spectacle, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, threw up many reactions about the upcoming movie on social media.
While a section trolled Ramayana, mounted on a Rs 4,000 crore budget, over VFX quality, another was just not convinced about Ranbir Kapoor playing Rama.
Amid all the noise, producer Namit Malhotra was asked how he balances the business aspect of a film like Ramayana with the "immense religious and cultural sensitivity".
In a recent interview, the producer spoke about how he is concentrating less on the "business side" of Ramayana and more about realising his passion project.
For Namit Malhotra, bringing Ramayana to the big screen is a "culture-first" phenomenon.
"Because in the world of religion, there's too much translation and too much sensitivity. This is truly what I think is a foundational piece of Indian culture, and that's why I feel very comfortable with it, because that's something that we carry with pride. We celebrate it. We share with the world," he told Collider.com.
"As far as the business side is concerned, this question has been asked of me a few times, but bringing a film like Ramayana to the world after having been third generation in the business is a privilege, is an opportunity. So at this point in time, I'm less focused on the business side, but the passion of telling this and showing this to the world has really usurped my senses," he added.
Namit Malhotra then said, "I'm much more, at heart, trying to do the justice I can to a film or a story of this size, such that it really resonates in the hearts of people, at which point the business is done. Business will not be the issue. So, getting the first part in is really where all the time, effort, money, and energy is focused so that everything else then becomes a line of dominoes that hopefully play out as they should."
The filmmaker, whose DNEG studio has won eight Oscars for VFX of films such as Dune and Interstellar, also explained the significance of Diwali for foreign audiences.
"Diwali, the quintessential, biggest celebration of Indian holiday, is nothing but the story of Lord Ram coming back after being exiled for 14 years and being victorious when he comes back with his wife. That is Diwali.
"That is the celebration of light, good over evil. So, it really is formative in the fundamentals of Indian culture. So, that part is easy because it's very inclusive. It's very open. It's diverse enough that you can be of any colour, caste, or person in the world, and it welcomes you right in, which is incredibly powerful," he added.
Ramayana Part 1 is set to be released on Diwali 2026. The film also stars Sai Pallavi, Yash, Sunny Deol, and Ravie Dubey.
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