Producer Namit Malhotra is set to rewrite the rules of Indian cinema with his upcoming magnum opus Ramayana, a two-part epic starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and featuring a stellar cast including Yash, Amitabh Bachchan, Sai Pallavi, and Sunny Deol. What’s grabbing global attention, however, is the jaw-dropping budget: $500 million or approximately Rs 4000 crore, making it the most expensive Indian film ever made.“We’re not taking anybody’s money”In a recent conversation with Prakhar Gupta, Namit Malhotra, the CEO of Prime Focus and the force behind several Hollywood blockbusters like Inception, Interstellar, and Dune, opened up about the ambitious scale of Ramayana and why it’s a personal mission.“We’re funding it ourselves. We’re not taking anybody’s money,” Malhotra asserted. “People thought I was crazy when we started six-seven years ago, just after the pandemic. No Indian film had come close to this kind of budget.”He estimates that by the time both parts are completed, the production cost will be around $500 million, a figure that rivals, if not undercuts, some of the biggest Hollywood tentpole movies.“We are making the largest film in the world for the greatest story, the greatest epic that the world should see. And I still think it’s cheaper than it costs to make some of the biggest Hollywood films,” he added.A childhood dream born from Jurassic ParkMalhotra traced the origin of his vision to a childhood encounter with Jurassic Park, a film that opened his imagination to the possibilities of building believable fictional worlds. Though he never became a director, he built a global post-production and visual effects powerhouse with Prime Focus, contributing to several Oscar-winning projects.But there was one lingering frustration: the lack of global respect for Indian cinema.
“All the films they saw us as were victims and we were poor and always less fortunate and treated poorly by the world. And I was like, no, that’s not who we are. That’s not the country I come from,” he said.This disconnect became the driving force behind Ramayana. Malhotra aims to present India’s spiritual and cultural heritage to the world through the story he calls “the greatest epic of all time.”Diwali 2026: The beginning of something epicWith Ramayana Part 1 slated to release on Diwali next year, anticipation is at fever pitch. Helmed by acclaimed director Nitesh Tiwari (Dangal, Chhichhore), the film is expected to combine high-end VFX, emotional storytelling, and unparalleled scale, marking a new chapter in Indian cinematic history.If Malhotra’s vision delivers, Ramayana could not only set box office records but also redefine how Indian mythology is presented to a global audience.
