Yash Defends Ramayana's Rs 4,000 Crore Budget, Urges Indians To Stop Pulling Film Down: 'We Need To...'

Yash defends Ramayana's Rs 4,000 crore budget and VFX, urges Indians to support the film and praises Ranbir Kapoor's dedication as Rama.

Yash has addressed one of the most debated aspects of Ramayana even before its release: the film's reported Rs 4,000 crore budget. Speaking at the trailer launch in Bengaluru on October 15, the actor explained why producer Namit Malhotra has repeatedly spoken about the scale of the investment and argued that the figure should be seen in the context of the film's international ambitions.

The event brought together Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, Ravie Dubey, Rakul Preet Singh, director Nitesh Tiwari and composer AR Rahman. Yash, who plays Ravana in the two-part epic and is also backing the project as a producer, used the occasion to respond to criticism surrounding not only the budget but also the VFX, casting and promotional material.

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.

Yash Explains Why Ramayana's Rs 4,000 Crore Budget Keeps Coming Up

Yash directly addressed the chatter around Namit Malhotra's repeated references to the film's mammoth budget.

"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 actor argued that discussing the amount publicly becomes relevant when a film is being positioned for a global audience.

"When we go abroad to promote our films, if we tell people that we have made a small-budget film, they may not give it the importance it deserves. We have to confidently tell them how much we have invested in making it. We need to showcase our country and what we are capable of," Yash said.

The Rs 4,000 crore figure, as clarified earlier, refers to the combined investment across both parts of Ramayana rather than solely the first instalment. Yash has also previously said that the total includes expenses connected with the film's international release and promotion.

For him, therefore, the conversation around the number is less about flaunting expenditure and more about demonstrating the scale at which the project has been mounted.

'Do Not Follow Divide-And-Rule Approach'

Yash also asked Indian audiences not to contribute to what he sees as an instinct to pull down homegrown projects.

"The figure he quoted is the collective budget. Let others try to pull you down, but I request you not to behave like the Britishers and follow a divide-and-rule approach. Let us focus on making this film successful. We need to come together as a country. I request the people of Karnataka to watch it with their entire families," he said.

His comments came in Bengaluru, where the trailer event carried added significance because of his own association with Karnataka and the enormous fan base he commands there.

The actor's message was straightforward: whatever criticism the film receives from outside, he does not want Indian audiences turning its ambition into another reason for division.

Yash Responds To Criticism Around Ramayana's VFX And Casting

The visual effects in Ramayana have been under scrutiny ever since the first batch of promotional material began arriving. Yash acknowledged that response too.

"I often see that whenever a teaser or trailer is released in India, people immediately start comparing it with other films and pulling it down, saying the VFX should have been like this or that, or that a particular actor should have been cast. We cannot keep pulling each other down in our own country," he said.

His remarks came a day after the film's second trailer was released in English as part of Sony Pictures International's overseas campaign.

The new trailer offered a more expansive look at the world created by Nitesh Tiwari, including Yash's Ravana challenging Indra, played by Kunal Kapoor, Ranbir's Rama taking on a giant creature in a forest and larger glimpses of the central battle between Rama and Ravana.

Yash said the intention behind the adaptation should matter before audiences dismiss its choices.

"Lord Rama is worshipped across India. When the intention is good, people should appreciate the effort and feel proud of it. I do not believe in dividing people. We should come together as a country and aim to lead the world," he added.

Yash Praises Ranbir Kapoor's Commitment As Rama

Away from the budget and VFX debate, Yash also spoke at length about Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Rama in the film.

He described Ranbir as an actor who had completely surrendered himself to the role.

"Ranbir is a very simple and humble actor, and I am extremely happy to have worked with him. I told him that he is one of the most honest, grounded and hardworking actors I have ever met. I have never seen anyone surrender himself to a role the way he has. It is not easy to do that. For his devotion to the film, God will bless him," Yash said.

The actor also stressed that none of the performers involved were approaching the characters with arrogance or claiming ownership over figures who hold enormous religious and cultural significance.

"We do not have the capacity to stand here and claim that we are Rama or Ravana. We have simply tried to do our best with integrity and honesty," he said.

Ramayana Brings Together Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi And Yash

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is being made as a two-part adaptation of the ancient Indian epic.

Ranbir Kapoor stars as Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita and Yash essays Ravana. Ravie Dubey appears as Lakshman, while Sunny Deol plays Hanuman. Arun Govil has been cast as Dasharatha, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara and Adinath Kothare as Bharat.

The film is being produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash, with Yash also backing it through Monster Mind Creations.

AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer have come together for the music, while DNEG is handling the visual effects.

The first instalment is scheduled to release on November 5, 2026, with the second part planned for Diwali 2027. As the international campaign gathers pace, Yash's message from Bengaluru was clear: judge the film after seeing what the team has made, not merely by the size of the cheque attached to it.