Ramayana Telugu Rights: Why Dil Raju Is Paying Rs 54 Crore Instead Of Rs 90 Crore For Ranbir Kapoor’s Film

Producer Dil Raju has secured the Telugu rights for the Bollywood film Ramayana on an advance basis for Rs 54 crore, avoiding outright purchases after recent losses.

There has been a lot of talk about how much Dil Raju is paying for the Telugu rights of Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana. While reports claimed the deal was worth Rs 80-90 crore, a leading distributor has now said the amount is actually much lower.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, the distributor said Dil Raju has taken the film on an advance basis and will pay Rs 54 crore to release it in the Telugu states. “He has taken it on an advance basis and would be paying Rs 54 crore for releasing the film in Telugu states," he said.

He also denied the reports about the higher amount, adding, “No one would be paying Rs 80 or 90 crores as has been reported, which is false," he added.

Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi in a key role and Yash as Ravana. The distributor believes the story of Ramayana and the popular cast could attract Telugu audiences. “Telugu audiences love watching mythological films but it has to be properly made and executed. Sai Pallavi and Rakul Preet Singh have sone Telugu films and carved a niche, while Kannada star Yash as Ravana as also triggered some interest among Telugu fans," he pointed out.

After facing heavy losses with Toxic, Dil Raju is reportedly being careful with his investments. Instead of buying the rights outright, he has chosen an advance-based deal for Ramayana.

The distributor said this is a safer option because the advance can be returned if the film doesn’t perform well. “It is a safer business deal because the advance is returnable if it doesn’t work out. If the film makes more than Rs 54 crore in Telugu states, then it would be shared by Dil Raju and producers on agreeable ratio," he concluded.

Simply put, if the film earns more than Rs 54 crore in the Telugu states, the additional earnings will be shared between Dil Raju and the producers as per their agreement.

Meanwhile, speaking at Ramayana’s trailer launch in Bengaluru on October 15, Yash explained why producer Namit Malhotra has been highlighting the film’s massive budget, saying the investment needs to be viewed in light of its global ambitions. According to Yash, Indian films often struggle to command the same attention abroad unless their scale is communicated with confidence. He also appealed to audiences at home to stop treating ambitious Indian productions as targets before they have even been released.

“People have not let go of Namit Malhotra ever since he spoke about spending Rs 4,000 crore on Ramayana. This is the problem in our country," he said.

The first instalment of Ramayana is scheduled to release on November 5, 2026, with the second part planned for Diwali 2027.