Where will the grand premiere of ‘Ramayana’ be held? If things fall in place, Dubai. Sources have told mid-day that director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra, who had initially paused their plans of hosting a premiere in the UAE due to the then ongoing conflict in West Asia, have revived the discussion in the wake of the US and Iran signing their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The team is now apparently working towards hosting the event — internally referred to as the ‘Desert Premiere’ — in the emirate tentatively on October 28.

Groundwork for the event, which will be attended by lead actors Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash, has quietly begun. Location scouts have started evaluating venues across Dubai.

A source said, “In April, the idea was put on hold because the timing didn’t feel right. Now that the situation has eased considerably, the team is again exploring the feasibility of taking ‘Ramayana’ to Dubai. The city was always the preferred choice because of its ability to stage large-scale events and the Indian diaspora.”

The plan was in full throttle, the venue had been finalized, and guests had been invited for the much-anticipated showcase of the principal characters of Nitesh Tiwari’s magnum opus, ‘Ramayana: Part One’. But no one expected the event to be postponed.

Sources close to the production inform mid-day that producer Namit Malhotra has decided to postpone the launch of the film’s promotional assets, which were originally scheduled to coincide with the Ram Navami festival on March 26.

The showcase, organised at Gateway of India, was set to unveil the look of the leading cast. However, the makers have opted to defer the unveiling in light of the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict that has triggered global tensions. They now plan to roll out promotional activities closer to May.

“The Ram Navami launch was planned as a massive moment for the film, but ‘Ramayana’ is not just a domestic project; it’s an international film with a global audience. The producers felt that the current situation worldwide is not the most conducive environment to unveil such important material,” informs an insider, adding that the makers do not want to rush the launch.

The first instalment of ‘Ramayana’ is slated for release during the Diwali 2026 window.

L-R: Ravi Udyawar, Namit Malhotra, Allu Aravind, Madhu Mantena and Nitesh Tiwari

Filmmakers to direct a live-action trilogy in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu for Madhu Mantena, Allu Aravind and Namit Malhotra
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 8, 2019)

Mirror (May 10, 2017) was the first to report that Madhu Mantena, Allu Aravind and Namit Malhotra have joined hands to bring the Ramayana back to the screen as a live-action feature film with an estimated budget of Rs 500 crore. It will be made in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, shot in 3D, and released in three parts. Now, we have learnt that Madhu has got Nitesh Tiwari of Dangal fame and Mom director Ravi Udyawar who will be helming this ambitious project while Sridhar Raghavan is writing the screenplay. It will be made with actors from Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati and Punjabi films as the makers are targeting a pan-India as well as a global audience.

While admitting that it is a huge responsibility because the Ramayana is not just a revered ancient text in Indian mythology but also an integral part of our culture and more relevant today, Nitesh informs that they are ensuring that whatever is said and shown has the stamp of authenticity. Explaining his reasons for doing the films, he says his primary focus is the story and if it pushes the envelope while challenging him as a filmmaker further, and finds collaborators who share his vision and passion, he is happy to join the team. All three criteria have been fulfilled in this instance. “Madhu and Ravi have been friends for years, Allu sir and Namit are legends and Sridhar has fabulous credentials as a creator. All we have to do now is zap the world,” he laughs.

Ravi, not just a filmmaker but also a painter, is equally excited about the project. “I heard these stories from my grandmother and mother and passed them on to my children. Everybody knows the story of Ram, Sita and Raavan, it’s the story-telling that will make our trilogy memorable and I’m putting everything I have learnt into it to make it fun and engaging while staying true to the original,” he asserts.

The project has been a work in progress for the last three years and Mirror had an opportunity to see 100-odd intricate paintings created by artists from across the country for it. They include scenes from Ayodhya with its emblematic rosetinted tree of learning, a goldsplashed Lanka and a lush-green Mithila with Nepalese architecture, beside battles between the devas and the rakshasas and the aquatic underwater life, among others. They will serve as references for the setting, costume, cast and action.

For Nitesh, the appeal of the epic lies in its tableau of characters—from Raavan, who is a reminder to people of all that he could have achieved but because of certain actions, ends up on a stake every year during Ramlila, while Ram is an embodiment of some values that people have since forgotten. “I went with my father and brother to the Ramlila every year and though we all knew the story, it still evoked the same emotions in us when Sita was kidnapped or Raavan’s effigy burnt,” he reminisces.

A visit to Chitrakoot, where he saw Ram’s footprint and the outline of his bow, made the mythology real for the filmmaker. For Nitesh his greatest takeaway from Ramyana is Ram. “He was an ideal leader, husband, father and son. With time, I’ve realised that it’s easy for us to be a good father but so difficult to be a good son. It’s made me a better son to my elderly father, and I can only hope that my son will also take good care of me,” smiles the father of nine-year-old twins Aaradhya and Amaarisa (below). “Apart from Ram and Raavan, every character, be it Sita, Lakshman or even Hanuman, has something to say which is why we are telling the story in three parts.”

The team has yet to take a call on the filming and the release plan, but they are hoping to kick off next year and are targeting a 2021 release for Part 1, promising that there won’t be too long a gap between two instalments.

There have been various versions of the Ramayana on screen, from Sampoorna Ramayana and Ram Rajya to Lanka Dahan and Bajrangbali. Earlier, Ramanand Sagar had brought Ramayan into our homes through a long-running TV show and both directors recall how everyone was hooked to it. They are hoping for the same acceptance when their Ramayana arrives in cinemas in 3D. “Money and time are not a problem. Our producers have told us to be fearless and fly. So, we are flying visually,” says Nitesh, with Ravi adding, “There are many sci-fi films but only one Star Wars. We have access to the best technology and talent so what better time to let the world see what our country has to offer.”

Ravi points out that Namit’s studio, Prime Focus, has bagged three Oscars in the last five years and many of the technicians there have been working on A-list Hollywood films and are excited leap into the epical world. “For me the Ramayana offers magic in its shape-shifting monsters. It’s something that even a toddler will enjoy. When I told my son, Rian (right; above), who is 12 what we were doing he was jumping around all day wondering what Raavan and Kumbhakarna would look like while my 15-year-old daughter Renee (right; above) was visualising the fights between Ram and the rakshasas in the forest. Having seen animated versions on TV, they can’t wait to see it in live-action. For me the biggest thrill was when Rian told me that Hanuman is cooler than Superman. I am doing this for my children,” he exults.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 9, 2018)

As Ridley Scott’s Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling-starrer Blade Runner 2049 bagged the gong for Best Visual Effects at the recently concluded Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles, media company Prime Focus celebrated the win on this part of the globe. The Indian group’s Double Negative (DNEG) was the company behind the success of the fantasy.

Prime Focus CEO Namit Malhotra sees this win as a challenge to replicate the magic in Indian ventures too. “While once dominant in the American film industry, visual effects are now used in films from across the globe. It’s only fitting that a country like India, which has a 100-year-long history in the movie business, is at par with Hollywood. India is rapidly advancing in filmmaking technology. Our artistes are capable of producing quality work that matches the kind created by the rest of the world,” Malhotra says, adding that Indian artistes can expect to collaborate with the “best in the world” in the near future.

With Prime Focus co-producing the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer superhero fantasy, Brahmastra, Malhotra says his team is already aspiring to match international standards, as far as VFX technology is concerned. “With this film, we will hopefully set an example of what can be expected from India in the future. I have been committed to creating films with such visual effects since the onset of my career.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 28, 2017)

Having taken the onus of giving Bollywood its biggest superhero in their next, Brahmastra, Ranbir Kapoor and Karan Johar are pulling out all stops. mid-day has learnt that the Ayan Mukerji-directed venture, which apparently sees Kapoor’s character having the superpower of unleashing fire from his palms, is being mounted on a budget of over Rs 150 crore.

Namit Malhotra (founder, executive chairman and global CEO, Prime Focus), who turns co-producer with this film, says the budget is immaterial in light of their vision for the project. “We aspire to create something homegrown that can match Hollywood standards. We can’t be penny-pinching with the scale. Hollywood has moved from dramas and rom-coms to big scale films, which makes more money eventually. India too is getting there,” he says.

Bollywood’s answer to Hollywood’s fantasy films, Brahmastra will be released in 3D to up the cinematic experience. “We will shoot it the regular way and then convert it into 3D. The visual effects and conversion quality will be superlative,” asserts Malhotra.

Also starring Amitabh Bachchan and Alia Bhatt in pivotal roles, the film has been conceived as a trilogy. However, the team is currently focused on the first instalment, which is likely to go on floors early next year. “The films will progress from establishing the characters to the protagonist achieving his goal. Ayan’s vision will strike a chord with everyone, from the ages of six to 60. In terms of concept, it doesn’t share any similarities with other Bollywood superhero films, like Krrish [2006]. The title itself conveys that the story is rooted in our cultural heritage.”

Three filmmakers have joined hands to make the epic as a live-action Rs 500-crore feature film
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 10, 2017)

Hindi cinema is getting ready for another epic reign. Mirror has learnt that in a development on Tuesday, three producers, Allu Aravind, Namit Malhotra and Madhu Mantena have joined hands to bring the Ramayana to the big screen. The liveaction feature will be a Hindi, Telugu and Tamil trilingual, being hyped as India’s most ambitious project yet with an estimated budget of Rs 500-crore. It will be shot in 3D and released as a three-part series.

Confirming the development Allu Aravind told Mirror, “It’s a huge responsibility but the Ramayana needs to be told on the big screen in the most magnificent way possible. We are committed to delivering a spectacular extravaganza.” The Tollywood producer has made films like Ghajini and Magadheera. Madhu and him collaborated on Ghajini.

According to a source close to the development the trio has been working on the script for over a year. “They realised that the epic hasn’t been presented on the big screen for many years now, not since Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan with Arun Govil and Deepika Chikhalia as Ram and Sita was telecast on Doordarshan in 1987-88, followed by another adaption of the epic by Sagar Arts in 2008 with Gurmeet Choudhary and Debina Bonnerjee in the lead. They wanted to bring the epic to the big screen this time,” adds the source.

Namit Malhotra asserts that he has always aspired to raise the bar in our cinema. His company, Prime Focus, has handled the stereo conversion and visual effects of big budget franchises like Ghostbusters, Star Wars, Transformers, X-Men: Apocalypse and The Martian. Namit, who is associated with this film in a personal capacity says, “Three generations of my family have been in the movies and we have a world-leading capability in bringing such stories to life. There cannot be a better time and opportunity to tell the greatest Indian story to the world in a way that preserves its respect and vision. The partnership with Allu sir and Madhu has aligned me with the best partners who share the same vision and passion to make this a cinematic experience all Indians can be proud of.”