More than 10,000 technicians from around the world are working on filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming epic Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, producer Namit Malhotra has said.
Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash as Lord Rama, Sita and Ravana, respectively, the film is scheduled to release in theatres on November 5.
The makers Friday shared a promotional video featuring Malhotra, Tiwari and Kapoor discussing the ambitious project and the scale of its production.
“A LIFE SIZED EPIC. Sit down with Namit Malhotra, Nitesh Tiwari, and Ranbir Kapoor as they discuss bringing RAMAYANA: RISE OF A LEGEND to the big screen,” the filmmakers wrote while sharing the video.
The promo opens with Kapoor saying, “Ramayana. Let’s see it in the best way possible.”
Describing the film, Malhotra says, “Ramayana is a life-sized epic that has so much depth of character, emotion, spectacle. There’s something in it for everyone.”
Tiwari adds, “People from around the world would be able to connect with it. There’s a great father-son story. There’s a great underdog story. A very brave love story.”
Recalling how the project came together, Malhotra says, “When the opportunity of Ramayana came along, it was something that I felt we had to do. Some films don’t get made, they happen,”
Kapoor, meanwhile, credits the producer for assembling the cast and crew and backing the film on such a large scale.
“The kind of cast, crew that Namit put together. The kind of opportunity that you gave us, the scale that you gave us, creative people, that’s really rare in this industry,” he says.
Malhotra then offers a sense of the production's scale, saying, “Just to give people a sense of numbers, we have over 10,000 people on this film worldwide.”
The promotional footage offers glimpses of the film’s visual spectacle, including Kapoor as Ram standing atop a mountain at sunrise, and Yash as Ravana performing the tandav before a large statue of Lord Shiva.
The video also shows Jatayu in full form, while Pallavi’s Sita is seen fighting demons in a warrior-like avatar. Kunal Kapoor makes a brief appearance as Indra, wielding his thunderbolt Vajra.
The footage depicts Ram and Ravana overcoming obstacles along their respective journeys, albeit for different reasons.
Reportedly made on a budget of Rs 4,000 crore, the film’s music has been composed by Hans Zimmer and A R Rahman.