Nitesh Tiwari, Ravi Udyawar to direct Ramayana trilogy, budget likely to be Rs500 crore

Directors Nitesh Tiwari and Ravi Udyawar are all set to helm an ambitious trilogy on the Indian epic Ramayana. Produced by Madhu Mantena, Allu Arvind and Namit Malhotra, the makers have claimed that the project will be made on a budget of Rs500 crore. 

That’s not all. The films will be made in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, and will be a 3D spectacle. In order to cater to the pan-India audience, artistes from various industries will be roped in. “Ramayana will be made with actors from Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati and Punjabi films as the makers are targeting pan-India as well as the global audience,” said an official statement. The project has been in the works since the last three years. 

Tiwari’s last film was the record breaking blockbuster Dangal (2016), while Udyawar was the man behind Sridevi’s last film Mom (2017).

Speaking about the importance of Ramayana, Udyawar said in an official statement, “I heard these stories from my grandmother and mother and passed them on to my children. Everybody knows the story of Ram, Sita and Raavan. It’s the story-telling that will make our trilogy memorable and I’m putting everything I have learnt into it to make it fun and engaging while staying true to the original.” 

For Tiwari too Ramayana holds great importance since childhood. “I went with my father and brother to the Ramlila every year and though we all knew the story, it still evoked the same emotions in us when Sita was kidnapped or Raavan’s effigy burnt,” he said in the statement. 

Tiwari said that he and Udyawar have been given the freedom by the producers to go all out. “Money and time are not a problem. Our producers have told us to be fearless and fly. So, we are flying visually. There are many sci-fi films but only one Star Wars. We have access to the best technology and talent so what better time to let the world see what our country has to offer,” he said. 

The makers also said that they are hoping the project will go on floors in 2020 and the first film will be released in 2021. They have also promised that there will not be a long gap between the three films. 

Interestingly, director Kunal Kohli’s next is also based on the Ramayana. Although none of the main cast is revealed, veteran actor Dalip Tahil will be playing the role of sage Vishwamitra.