Whatever the reactions to the first teaser of "Ramayana" — to be specific, the glimpse of Ranbir Kapoor as Rama — may be, the producer-in-chief of the project, Namita Malhotra, sees the project as something extremely special. Claimed to have made on a staggering Rs 4000 crore (for two parts combined), the epic's makers aren't interested in selling the OTT rights for a "small" sum, if a new report is to be believed.
According to a source quoted by Bollywood Hungama, Malhotra was offered Rs 700 for both films together. However, he rejected it because Malhotra and his collaborators feel that "Ramayana" deserves much more.
"Namit received an offer of Rs. 700 crores 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. 4000 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 a Rs. 1000 crore deal from OTT players, leaving Rs. 3000 crores to be recovered from other sources, including global theatrical," said the source.
The logic, according to the makers, is that since "Ramayana" gives major exposure to whichever platform is hosting it, the demand would be naturally high and that the 1000-crore number is reasonable. It seems the success of "Dhurandhar" also played a part in these decisions.
"It's a film that gives all platforms a global reach. And Rs. 1000 crores for two films put together is a rather good price given the potential. He is holding the rights close to his chest and will partner with the right player at the right price. There's a possibility for him to sell just part one now, and hold back on part two till the release of part one, a strategy that team Dhurandhar opted for," the source further added.
"Ramayana - Part 1" is slated for a Diwali 2026 release, and the second part in Diwali 2027. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari ("Dangal"), the mythological fantasy epic based on Valmiki's iconic work features Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Sunny Deol as Hanuman.