'Ramayana' producer Namit Malhotra responds to 'Rama' buzz; assures fans 'What you've seen so far is just the beginning'

Producer Namit Malhotra has addressed the chatter around the 'Ramayana' first glimpse teaser titled 'Rama', following its release on April 2. The teaser, which introduced Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, sparked discussion online, with many praising the film’s ambition and scale while others criticised its VFX and character design and questioned the huge Rs 4,000 crore budget. Reacting to the mixed response that flooded social media, Malhotra released a statement on his handle, admitting that he was "overwhelmed" by the audience’s reactions. He began his note saying, "The response over the past few days has truly been overwhelming, inspiring, and humbling. Seeing how our Rama continues to touch so many hearts across the world fills me with deep humility and joy."He went on to add, "I cherish all of the conversations, the excitement, and feedback. This is a story etched in the souls of billions and deserves our utmost care."Assuring all that their feedback is noted by the team, he further added, "The many thousands of artists and collaborators who have been working away passionately are enthusiastic and energised to get out there and continue to deliver the absolute best in every department. We’re listening closely, working diligently, and pouring every effort possible into honouring it with the reverence it holds.""This is our Ramayana. It belongs to us all, and that shared emotion and massive responsibility to make every Indian proud is what drives me forward every single day," he said and concluded writing, "What you’ve seen so far is just the beginning… we are all striving to bring our epic to life this Diwali on the biggest screens to celebrate our culture and our history." With 'Rama' teaser already out, the makers, during a recent interaction, teased that the next big clip would be of 'Ravana'. According to director Nitesh Tiwari, the film will not portray Ravan as a negative character, but will depict his various aspects including that of a warrior, musician, king and Shiva devotee. ‘Dhurandhar 2’ box office collection day 20: Ranveer Singh, Rakesh Bedi, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun's film eyes Rs 1,650 cr mark worldwide The cast featuring Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana also includes Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, Rakul Preet Singh as Soorpanakha, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Indira Krishnan and Arun Govil as Raja Dashrath. 'Ramayana' will release as a two-part epic, with part 1 set for its release on Diwali 2026 and part 2 slated for its release on Diwali 2027.