Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, inaugurated producer Namit Malhotra’s Prime One in Mumbai on Thursday. The CM spoke about the filmmaker’s upcoming Ramayana films at the event. He even stated that he would be disappointed should Nitesh Tiwari’s Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash-starrer not bring home an Oscar.

Ranbir Kapoor in a still as Ram in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana.

Fadnavis bats for Ramayana to win Oscar

At the event, which was part of Prime Focus Studio’s Phase 1 plans, CM Fadnavis spoke highly of the upcoming Ramayana films. “I will be disappointed if the Academy Award doesn’t come to Ramayana,” he said, batting for it to bring home an Oscar. He also addressed the audience and shared his vision for the films that will be released in two parts. Namit’s new studio was inaugurated by CM Fadnavis at Film City, Mumbai. At the WAVES Summit, Prime Focus and the Maharashtra government had announced plans to develop what they called a Global Entertainment Ecosystem in Mumbai.

About Ramayana films

The Ramayana films are directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra’s DNEG in association with Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. DNEG, which operates under Prime Focus, is an eight-time Academy Award winner for Best Visual Effects. The outfit has worked on films such as Dune: Part Two, Dune and Tenet. The film will star Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The film’s trailer was recently released online after being showcased at the San Diego Comic-Con and a Pratham Sankalp event in New Delhi. Part 1 will hit screens for Diwali 2026, while Part 2 will release for Diwali 2027.

Mixed response after trailer release

The Ramayana trailer introduced the main leads and other characters, including Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanaka and Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi. The film received mixed reviews, with inevitable comparisons drawn with Om Raut’s Adipurush. Shri Ramlila Mahasangh wrote to the filmmakers, requesting that they screen the film for its representatives before its theatrical release, claiming that certain scenes could hurt Hindu sentiments. The organisation’s president, Arjun Kumar, brought up the Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, and Saif Ali Khan-starrer as the reason they want to watch it beforehand.

“We promoted Adipurush without watching the movie before its release, and that movie depicted certain things from Ramayana inaccurately. We don't want to repeat the same mistake since Ramayana belongs to billions of people,” he told PTI. The Mahasangh claimed it had received information suggesting that Ramayana contained scenes that could hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus in India and abroad. The makers were also warned that if the request was not accepted and the film was released without such a screening, the Mahasangh, along with other Hindu organisations, would stage protests and demonstrations outside cinema halls in Delhi and other states

• 

  Despite having a Master's degree in Journalism and over a decade of experience in print and digital media as a field reporter and sub-editor at organisations such as The Times of India and Reader's Digest, Neeshita Nyayapati remains a movie buff first and a Chief Content Producer second. She fell in love with movies in childhood and believes nothing matches the magic of watching a good film that moves you with a warm tub of popcorn in hand. Her love for writing about cinema follows that. Come Friday, you'll find her at her happy place, the movies, catching the latest rom-com or masala offering, for reviews or otherwise. As for the rest of the week, she's here reporting the juiciest news in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi or bringing out the best of celebs in interviews. While her niche is Telugu cinema, Neeshita likes to dabble in a little bit of everything to stay up to date. From film announcements to scandals and hard news angles, she has explored it all. A good book, a comforting cup of hot chocolate, puppy kisses and a stunning beach view are all she needs to unwind. Her passion for biking and travelling has taken her to various places across the country. She has found peace in everything from the frozen lakes of Gangtok to the coffee plantations of Coorg and the dense forests of Bandipur, to the monasteries of Darjeeling. But no matter where she goes, Neeshita loves coming across inspiring and moving stories.Read More