Ramayana is among the most-awaited projects of recent times, with major stars collaborating to bring forth the story of the mythological-epic. The two-part film is reportedly being mounted on a budget of Rs 4000 crore by producer Namit Malhotra. In a recent conversation, Namit said that actors asked him if he has enough funds to make the film.

Speaking about it on Game Changers podcast, Namit said, “The shooting for Part 1 is almost over now. When I started planning the film, we had a huge vision. Everyone, including actors, asked me if I have enough funds to pull it off. I’ve finished the first film and not borrowed a single rupee. I don’t know where the money is coming from. When people ask me how I pulled it off, even I don’t know. This is something else. It’s just happening on its own. This is not just a project or a business proposition.”

He added, “People ask me what my final budget is going to be — I don’t know. I don’t check that every day. I just see if we’re making the right product. There should be no compromise anywhere. Today, Ramayana has infused a new life into our business. Even in my experience of 30 years, I can’t pinpoint how it’s happening, but it is.”

Namit’s company, DNEG has won seven Academy Awards for visual effects of films like Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014) and Tenet (2020), among others.

Ramayana is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana among others. The first part is set to be released in theatres next year on Diwali followed by the second part in 2027.