The Indian film industry is buzzing after the first teaser for Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. The film is financed at an all-time high of ₹4,000 crore and is likely to be one of the most expensive and grandest in Indian cinema history. And the audience is now dissecting every frame of the teaser with their eyes on the high salaries of a big cast.
Ranbir Kapoor’s Huge Pay Hike
Playing Lord Ram, Ranbir Kapoor is said to have secured a deal for ₹150 crore for the two-part drama. This is ₹75 crore per part, and that is a big jump from his past. For context, Kapoor made ₹30–35 crore for his recent blockbuster Animal and ₹25–30 crore for Brahmastra: Part 1. With this kind of pay increase, he’s increasingly the face of India’s biggest cinema betting.
Yash: The ₹100 Crore Ravana
Kannada superstar Yash, who steps into the formidable shoes of Ravana, is paid ₹50 crore per part for this project, so it's ₹100 crore. While Yash earned around ₹30–35 crore in the KGF franchise, his transition to a pan-Indian antagonist role in Ramayana has now drastically fueled his market value, as both North and South Indian markets are attracted to him.
Sai Pallavi and The Supporting Icons
- Sai Pallavi, cast as Sita, the talented actress has seen her fee double. Since her typical salary is ₹2.5–3 crore for a project in the South, she will earn ₹6 crore per part (₹12 crore total) for Ramayana.
- Sunny Deol: Following his Gadar 2 resurgence, Deol will portray Lord Hanuman, earning ₹20 crore per part (₹40 crore total).
- Ravi Dubey: The television star playing Lakshman is earning ₹2–4 crore, hence the prestige of being part of such a high-profile ensemble.
A Global Technical Collaboration
The scale of Ramayana is not limited to its cast. For the first time in history, the Indian musical legend A.R. Rahman is collaborating with Academy Award-winning Hans Zimmer to compose the film’s score. This joint work in concert with Nitesh Tiwari’s vision will give us an auditory and visual experience that is as grand as Hollywood’s biggest movies.
Release Schedule
The epic is confirmed to be a two-part journey:
- Part 1: Scheduled for a grand worldwide release in October 2026, just ahead of Diwali.
- Part 2: Set to follow exactly one year later, hitting theaters during Diwali 2027.
Ramayana is a cultural event as the teaser is already breaking viewership records and so it is not just a movie.
Cast Salary Breakdown (Total for Both Parts)
- Ranbir Kapoor (Ram): ₹150 Crore
- Yash (Ravana): ₹100 Crore
- Sunny Deol (Hanuman): ₹40 Crore
- Sai Pallavi (Sita): ₹12 Crore
- Ravi Dubey (Lakshman): ₹2–4 Crore
The stakes couldn’t be higher. With a ₹4,000 crore budget to recover, do you think this stellar cast and the collaboration between Rahman and Zimmer will make Ramayana the first Indian film to challenge global box office records?
