Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has once again praised ‘Ramayana: Rise of a Legend’, and this time he has also defended the money plan of producer Namit Malhotra. In a long post on X, RGV said the film’s theatrical run is so strong that the first part alone may cover the cost of both instalments. He also predicted that the sequel will perform far better.
Ram Gopal Varma shares a story about his mother
Ram Gopal Varma opened his post with a personal story. He said his mother never showed this kind of excitement even for his best films. He wrote, “Even for the best of my films, she didn’t do this, but my mother has been buying tickets for Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana for the servants, watchmen and others in the building complex where she lives.”According to RGV, this wave of excitement has helped the film break records. He believes it is moving towards becoming the “biggest hit ever in Indian cinematic history”. He has watched the film twice and had earlier called it the “Taj Mahal of cinema”.
Ram Gopal Varma rejects the Rs 4,000 crore budget claim
Ram Gopal Varma said some people still argue that the film’s earnings are not enough. Their reasoning is that each of the two parts reportedly cost Rs 2,000 crore, which makes the total Rs 4,000 crore.The filmmaker does not agree with this figure. He claimed that the first part cost slightly less than Rs 800 crore. In his view, this amount already includes mutually beneficial deals, global tax benefits and subsidies, which will bring the cost down even further. He added that any reasonably experienced filmmaker can tell from watching the film that the cost could not have gone beyond this level.He also questioned the idea that both parts would need the same budget. He compared the two films to the two halves of one movie and wrote, “That’s like thinking the cost before the interval and after the interval will be the same in a film. I know of films where 50 per cent of the cost was just the climax.”
Why does Ram Gopal Varma talk about ‘Pushpak vimaan’
Ram Gopal Varma explained that a large share of the spending went into building the world of ‘Ramayana’. He said these creations will turn into assets that can be used again for the second film, gaming and other projects planned by Malhotra.According to him, most Bollywood filmmakers, trade analysts and self-styled experts do not understand this approach. Based on the current run, he predicted that the producer will get back the full cost of the first part, and possibly of both films, from the first instalment. After that, the earnings from digital and other non-theatrical rights of the first film, along with everything the sequel makes, would be added.Using an image from the epic, RGV joked that Namit Malhotra could then “build his own Pushpak vimaan”. He said the producer could invest in bold ventures that even the biggest production houses in north and south India have not tried. In time, he said, this could even help the producer overtake major Hollywood studios.RGV also took the names of Valmiki and Tulsidas while making a big claim about the producer. He wrote, “I don’t know what happened to Valmiki ji or Tulsidas ji after they did their work, but it is an irrefutable fact that, from now onwards, Namit Malhotra will be the biggest mega filmmaker in history since the May 3, 1913, release of Raja Harishchandra, up to whichever was the biggest film before November 5. If anyone has a doubt, just do the maths.”
Why does he expect a bigger part 2
The filmmaker said the second part will feature some of the story’s biggest moments. These include action scenes with Hanuman and the Vaanar Sena, Ram Sethu, the burning of Lanka, Sita in Lanka, the death of Kumbhakarna and the killing of Ravana.Ram Gopal Varma said Malhotra has shown a strong mix of strategy, business sense, creative understanding and vision. He compared the two ‘Ramayana’ films with the ‘KGF’ franchise and wrote, “If KGF 2 did around five times more than KGF 1, I am convinced that Ramayana 2 will do 10 times more than Ramayana Part 1. If you disagree, we will talk in 2028.”
Second viewing adds to his praise
Ram Gopal Varma had earlier said that he was just as impressed after seeing the film a second time. He described himself as an atheist and said he was judging the film as a lover of cinema, not as a devotee of Lord Ram.He praised the scale, ambition, visual effects and performances. In his opinion, some critics failed to see how the grand visuals add to the emotional effect of the story. He gave credit to director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra for trying something Indian cinema had never imagined before.This is not the first time he has backed the film. In an earlier post, he called it a powerful cinematic experience and asked the makers not to feel low because of poor reviews. He compared the criticism to “barking street dogs” when set against the effort that went into making the film.
About the film and its cast
The film is produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios along with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, Yash plays Ravana and Ravie Dubey plays Lakshman. Sunny Deol will be seen as Lord Hanuman, who was introduced in the post-credits scene of the first part. Malhotra and Yash are also co-producers. The second part is expected to arrive on Diwali 2028.
