Nitesh Tiwari’s two-part adaptation of the Indian epic Ramayana has been the talk of the town because of its enormous scale, pan-India casting, and global mounting, but the astronomical figure of Rs 4000 crore has been at the centre of the discourse. However, now, Yash, who plays chief antagonist Ravana in the films, and is also a co-producer, has explained why the budget is so high.

Yash on Ramayana’s Rs 4000 cr budget

“There’s a misunderstanding I should clarify. Rs 4000 crore, quoted by my partner (Namit Malhotra), includes both the films, and the promotional costs for Hollywood. That’s how the math there works. A budget equal to, or sometimes more than, the production budget is spent for promotions because it’s global,” said Yash.

He added that Malhotra, the head of Prime Focus which is co-producing Ramayana with Yash’s production house Monster Mind Creations, “is working very hard and putting his own money.”

“He’s doing it for the country, let him do it. If the film is nice, the audience would bless it,” said Yash on Aap Ki Adalat.

Last year, on the Game Changers podcast, Malhotra claimed he’s willing to spend even three times the budget of Rs 4000 crore, if needed. “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 said.

Malhotra also revealed earlier that he conceived Ramayana around the pandemic. “Budget-wise, everybody thought I’m a lunatic. Because no Indian film, by a long distance, comes close to it. So, to put it simply, it’ll be about $500 million by the time we’re done, on both films put together, part one and part two, which is over Rs 4,000 crore,” Malhotra, who has a net worth of Rs 9204 crore, said on Prakhar Gupta’s podcast.

Do we need another Ramayana?

On Aap Ki Adalat, Yash also addressed the discourse around if we need another film adaptation of the Ramayana. Om Raut’s Adipurush (2023), starring Prabhas as Rama, Kriti Sanon as Sita, and Saif Ali Khan as Ravana, was bashed by the audience and critics alike. But Yash insisted that the Ramayana is not about its story, but the “imagination” of the makers.

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“For example, when my grandfather would narrate a story to me during childhood, the visual I had in my head was very different from his,” argued Yash. “We have to make the film entertaining, but also not hurt religious values. So, it’s a very difficult balance, but we have to do it. It’s a story that’s survived so many generations. The best of people are there in the film,” added the actor.

Why Yash is not playing Rama

Yash also explained why despite being a co-producer on Ramayana, he chose to play Ravana instead of the protagonist, Rama. “It’s important to show Ravana’s evilness to highlight Rama’s goodness,” he said. But the KGF and Toxic actor also claimed that while “no one can play evil better than me”, nobody would have played Rama better than him, had he chosen to take up that role.

“But this film needs a situation — how do we kill this guy? That’s what Ramayana is — Ravana has a boon and can’t die. Despite that, Rama defeats him. So, we’ve kept all our egos aside. It’s not about my stardom. We’re working as a team for the film,” argued Yash. Responding to the discourse that he stole the show in the recently released trailer, he said, “I’m just walking and saying some dialogues in the trailer. Everyone has a good role in the film.” “Ravana should be formidable. That’s when the victory would feel sweet. So, that’s where I come in,” added Yash.

Ramayana boasts of an ensemble cast, which includes Sunny Deol as Hanuman. Revealing that character as his favourite, Yash said, “He’s also from Karnataka. Each actor is bringing their value to the film. They’re doing good in their respective areas, but all of us have come together to tell this greatest story of our country.”

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Ramayana also stars Sai Pallavi as Sita, Arun Govil as Dasharatha, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Indira Krishnan as Sumitra, Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha, Vivek Oberoi as Vidyuthjiva, Kunal Kapoor as Indra, Sheeba Chadha as Manthara, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, and Shobana as Kaikesi among others. With score by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer, Ramayana Part 1 is slated to release in cinemas this Diwali.