India’s Most Expensive Film ‘Ramayana’ to Cost ₹4000 Crore—More Than Avatar and Avengers
India's biggest movie ever, Ramayana, will be made on a ₹4000 crore budget—surpassing Avatar, Avengers & RRR. Details on release date, cast, and director.
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India is all set to break cinematic records with its most ambitious project yet—Namit Malhotra’s ‘Ramayana’, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, which is being produced on an eye-watering ₹4000 crore budget (approx. $500 million). This makes it the most expensive Indian film ever, surpassing the combined budgets of blockbusters like RRR, Baahubali, Adipurush, and Kalki 2898 AD.
Ramayana’s Budget Surpasses Global Blockbusters
The two-part epic is billed as India’s answer to The Lord of the Rings and is already being compared to some of the most expensive productions in Hollywood history. For reference:
- Avatar (2009) had a budget of $237 million
- Avengers: Endgame cost around $350 million
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens reached $447 million
- Ramayana is reportedly set to cost $500 million (₹4000 crore), dwarfing these figures
Producer Namit Malhotra confirmed the staggering budget on The Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast, saying,
“Everybody called me a lunatic… but by the time both parts are done, it will be about ₹4000 crore. Still cheaper than some Hollywood films, yet bigger in scale.”
Budget Comparison with Indian Films
Even as a two-part production, Ramayana’s budget eclipses the biggest Indian films to date:
- Adipurush: ₹550 crore
- RRR: ₹500 crore
- Kalki 2898 AD: ₹600 crore
- Baahubali 1 & 2 combined: ₹430 crore
No other Indian project has come close to this scale or expenditure.
Ramayana: Cast, Crew & Release Dates
- Director: Nitesh Tiwari
- Produced by: Namit Malhotra
Cast:
- Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram
- Yash as Ravana
- Sai Pallavi as Sita
- Ravi Dubey as Lakshman
- Sunny Deol as Hanuman
Music: A rare collaboration between AR Rahman and Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer (his Bollywood debut)
Release Timeline:
- Ramayana Part 1: Diwali 2026
- Ramayana Part 2: Sometime in 2027
The Vision Behind the Spectacle
Namit Malhotra emphasized that the film is not just about scale, but storytelling:
“We are making the largest film in the world for the greatest story ever told. And we’re doing it more efficiently than Hollywood.”
He also dismissed concerns about overspending, saying the budget is justified by the film’s massive scale, global relevance, and technological sophistication.
