It’s rare to hear of a Bollywood actor saying no to a paycheck, especially for a film as big as Ramayana which is made on a budget of Rs 4000 crore. But that’s exactly what happened! One actor from the Nitesh Tiwari-directorial refused to charge a single rupee from the makers and his reason will melt your hearts.
We’re talking about Vivek Oberoi. In Ramayana, the actor will essay the role of Vidyutjihva (the demon prince and husband of Shurpanakha) and also portrays Vibhishan (Ravana’s righteous brother). Interestingly, Oberoi has decided to donate his entire fee from the film.
Vivek Oberoi didn’t take any paycheck for Ramayana
Vivek Oberoi had told Hindustan Times earlier, “I told Namit that I don’t want a penny for this, I want to donate it to any
sort of cause that I believe in, which is kids with cancer. I told him I want to support you because I just love what you’re doing and I think that this will take Indian cinema on the global stage with a bang.”
“There is always the battle between whether Ramayana is mythological or historical, we believe it is historical, and it was great working on it. I was so happy and it was a lot of fun working with the whole crew, Namit, Nitesh, (actors) Yash, Rakul (Preet Singh). I still have a couple of days shoot left,” the actor added.
Also Read: Ramayana Cast Fees: Ranbir Kapoor To Yash, Here’s How Much The Stars Are Charging
Ramayana Cast’s Fees
According to India.com, Ranbir Kapoor is the highest-paid actor in the film, reportedly charging Rs 75 crore for each part (Rs 150 crore in total). Yash, who plays Ravana and also co-produces the film, is said to be earning Rs 50 crore per installment (Rs 100 crore overall). Sai Pallavi, cast as Goddess Sita, has reportedly charged Rs 6 crore per part (Rs 12 crore total), while Ravie Dubey, who plays Lakshman, is said to be receiving Rs 10 crore for each film (Rs 20 crore in total). Sunny Deol, who essays Lord Hanuman, has reportedly charged Rs 20 crore per part, taking his total remuneration to Rs 40 crore.
Veteran actor Arun Govil returns to the Ramayana universe as King Dashrath, though his remuneration has not been revealed. The ensemble cast also includes Lara Dutta, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Shobana, Faisal Malik and several others, but their reported fees have not been disclosed.
Ramayana, one of the biggest Indian films ever made with a reported budget of Rs 4,000 crore, will release in two parts during Diwali 2026 and 2027.
