Producer Namit Malhotra is taking a big risk with the highly anticipated mythological epic Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama. Reports say Malhotra rejected a huge Rs 700 crore offer for the film’s digital rights, aiming for an even bigger deal to protect the movie’s long-term value.
The recently released teaser of Nitesh Tiwari directorial showed Ranbir Kapoor in regal form as Lord Rama. The scale and visuals of the epic have already generated huge buzz among fans and critics, raising expectations for the Diwali 2026 release.
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Ramayana To Follow High-Stakes Dhurandhar 2 Strategy For Rs 4000 Cr Recovery?
The two-part epic is one of the biggest productions in Indian cinema, with a reported budget of around Rs 4,000 crore. Sources say Malhotra believes the global appeal of the film could bring even larger deals if he holds back satellite, digital, and music rights for now.
A source told Bollywood Hungama, “Namit received an offer of Rs 700 crore for both the films put together, which is the highest ever by a margin for an Indian film. But he took no time to reject the offer. Given the mammoth cost of Rs 4,000 crore, Namit and his team feel that Ramayana deserves more as it’s a legacy film that will speak to generations ahead. He is expecting Rs 1,000 crore deal from OTT players, leaving Rs 3,000 crore to be recovered from other sources, including global theatrical.”
By possibly splitting the release (selling rights for part one first and holding part two), Malhotra is reportedly following a Dhurandhar 2 strategy, which maximised revenue through staggered monetisation.
Response To Recently- Released Teaser Of Ranbir Kapoor Starrer
Fans have praised the epic scale and Ranbir Kapoor’s calm portrayal of Lord Rama. However, the teaser faced large criticism. Some netizens called the VFX “cartoonish” and inconsistent, with a few shots compared to AI-generated graphics or video games. Critics even compared it to Prabhas starrer Adipurush, questioning whether the massive Rs 4,000 crore budget was fully utilised.
Traditionalists raised concerns over stylised action, such as tree-flipping stunts and snow-laden battles, saying it leaned more toward Western fantasy than the spiritual roots of the Ramayana.
Ramayana also features a strong cast, with Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman. The first part of Ramayana is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release during Diwali 2026.
