Director Nitesh Tiwari is gearing up for the release of the magnum opus Ramayana, slated to hit the screens later this year. Ahead of the release, the film’s makers invited creators and YouTubers to the sets for an interaction with the cast and crew, during which producer Namit Malhotra opened up about the expectations for the film and the anxiety around audience reactions.
Namit Malhotra unfazed by Adipurush backlash
Ramayana is a two-part film, billed as the most expensive Indian production ever. Reports say the combined landing cost of the two parts is as high as ₹4000 crore ($500 million), making it one of the most expensive films in the world. Ramayana follows Adipurush, another adaptation of the epic, but one that failed to hit the mark. The Om Raut film, released in 2023, was a critical and commercial failure, losing over ₹250 crore at the box office and drawing widespread criticism from both critics and audiences. When YouTuber Suraj Kumar asked Namit if Adipurush’s fate worried him, the producer candidly responded, “I always feel that the value lies in what we can do best. We can’t do anything about what others do. There will be people after us who will do better work than us. There are those who came before us who couldn’t do well. These ups and downs are normal.”
Adipurush, directed by Om Raut, starred Prabhas as Lord Rama, Kriti Sanon as Sita, and Saif Ali Khan as Ravana. The film was made on a reported budget of over ₹550 crore, making it the most expensive Indian film at the time. However, after a big opening day, Adipurush tanked at the box office, crawling to the ₹300 crore mark. The film also received criticism for its depiction of mythological icons and unsavoury dialogue.
Namit added that he and his team were committed to giving the audience a good adaptation of Ramayan. “We are focused on doing the best in what we can do, whether it is the actor, director, me, or anyone else. We have put all our efforts into that. If you like it, very good, nahi acha lage to haath jod kar sorry bol kar nikal jaayenge, aur kya karenge (if you don’t like it, we will fold our hands and apologise). We can’t do anything beyond that,” he said.
All about Ramayana
Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The first part will release in theatres ahead of Diwali 2026, with the concluding second part slated for a Diwali 2027 release.