Namit Malhotra feels like ‘Sachin Tendulkar getting picked for World Cup on debut' while taking Ramayana global
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Producer Namit Malhotra has shared that the scale of Ramayana ’s global rollout is unprecedented. The movie, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, is releasing globally on 70,000 screens, more than twice as wide a rollout as any Indian movie has had before. Namit, who has bankrolled the movie, has shared that it is his dream to take Indian storytelling globally with the movie. Now, in a new interview, he re-emphasised this dream, comparing himself to cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Adding to this, Nitesh Tiwari, Yash, Ranbir Kapoor and Namit Malhotra attend the Ramayana press line during 2026 Comic-Con International: San Diego in July. (Photo by Emma McIntyre / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) (Getty Images via AFP) ‘Like Sachin Tendulkar on debut’ Ahead of its rollout, Ramayana had its world premiere at the David Geffen Theatre at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, where the films nominated for Oscars are screened. This was hailed as a monumental achievement for an Indian movie. Talking with PTI, Namit shared, “The biggest thing I feel right now is gratitude because, to me, the fact that we have a movie industry for over 100 years, and I get to have this golden opportunity to produce Ramayana and to present it to the world like never before, is unbelievable. There are generations of filmmakers who have come before me who are brilliant in what they've done in India. But a Ramayana like this has never been made by any Indian filmmaker. And I get to be that person today. It's like Sachin Tendulkar getting picked to play the World Cup on his debut.”
Meanwhile, Based on the epic by Valmiki, the Ramayana is a story widely known to almost every Indian. But to Westerners, it is largely new. Namit says that with the movie, he hopes to introduce Western audiences to the story. He added, “Just imagine I'm standing here and saying, 'You guys know The Odyssey, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Star Wars, but do you know that Ramayana came before all of these great epics? And it's not trying to copy or borrow from you. In fact, it's an original story. It's original characters and an original world that have been envisioned. So they are excited about it. And that's why I think that the opportunity to connect with the audience is very exciting.”
Notably, Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit's Prime Focus and Yash's Monster Mind Creations, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana. The first part is scheduled for worldwide rollout on November 5, while the second part is set for Diwali 2028. The films will rollout in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam across India.
As per the latest buzz, Sony Pictures will handle global distribution, excluding India, while Dharma Productions will distribute the movie in the Hindi-speaking market.
In further updates, Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Movie Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times