GBS 2026: Ramayana Producer Namit Malhotra Says Epic Will Perfectly 'Represent India With Pride'

Producer Namit Malhotra is bankrolling the much-awaited mythological epic Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash. The first part is set to release in theatres this Diwali, and the hype is insane. While most details are being kept under wraps, fans are eager to know more. At the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2026, the producer got candid about why he decided to make the film, being touted as one of the most expensive films ever made. Reportedly, the two parts are being made on a budget of Rs 4,000 crore ($500 million).Namit Malhotra On RamayanaDuring a session on AI and filmmaking at the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2026, he said, "Ramayana is the foundation of our culture and history. I have spent the last two decades really

trying to establish a foothold in Hollywood. In other industries, whether it's financial, technology or medicine, Indians have had success. When I went to Hollywood, I saw that we had no real presence. They didn’t have any representation of our history or culture. Through this personal journey, it kept frustrating me that we were seen through this lens of an emerging country."He pointed out how India was often viewed the way it is seen in Slumdog Millionaire or in films based on colonial rule.He added, "We were always the victims. That really troubled me to a large extent, and I thought we got to bring something that shows who we are, where we come from, our culture, the richness of our history, in a way that the world hasn’t seen before. That really became the genesis of why Ramayana is the perfect story of our history that can be presented and shown to the world with pride."Ramayana Is India's Biggest Film Ever

He further said, "We have everything that the biggest Hollywood spectacles have, and one has made sure that we mount it at that scale and budget. Technical engagement and visual scale are second to none. People should feel tremendous pride that we are making what is the largest film, as an independently financed film from anywhere in the world. That is the conviction singly being driven by this enthusiasm of how do we put India at the level that the world sees us for what we are, and not through the lens of events and incidents. I am very excited about what I feel we will be able to showcase, not just in India, but to everyone in the world."The movie is set to release in November 2026.