Budget row: Ram Gopal Varma claims Ramayana Part 1 cost under ₹8 billion

Mumbai: Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has stated that the first part of the Ramayana franchise was made for under ₹8 billion. While the film has broken box office records and is projected to become the biggest hit in Indian cinematic history, there has been criticism over its budget of ₹40 billion for both parts. Varma shared that this high budget includes mutually beneficial deals, global tax benefits, and subsidy elements.

He pointed out that experienced filmmakers can see that the cost cannot be more than this amount. Varma also noted that it is naive to assume both parts will cost the same, as there can be significant differences, especially in the climax. He believes that the box office success of Part 1 might allow producer Namit Malhotra to cover the entire cost of both parts with the earnings from Part 1 alone.