Bollywood
Fresh Details Emerge On Sony's Ambitious Plans For Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana
BY SACNILK
Mumbai, July 24 - Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana has taken another significant step towards becoming a global cinematic event. Sony Pictures Entertainment has officially come on board as the international distributor for the two-part epic. Interestingly, the agreement is said to be a Free of Cost (FOC) distribution deal, meaning Sony has not paid an upfront acquisition fee to the producers. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Instead, the Hollywood studio will invest heavily in the film's worldwide marketing campaign, underlining its confidence in the project's global appeal. According to a report by Pinkvilla, Sony has committed USD 25 million (approximately 235 crore) towards the international marketing and publicity of Ramayana. The producers will contribute an additional USD 15 million (approximately 140 crore), bringing the film's total marketing expenditure to USD 40 million (approximately 375 crore). Such a promotional budget is virtually unheard of for an Indian film and reflects the makers' ambition of launching Ramayana on the scale of a major Hollywood blockbuster. The report further states that Ramayana: Part One is expected to be mounted on a budget of around 1,500 crore, including production and marketing costs. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Meanwhile, the combined budget for both instalments is estimated to be close to 3,000 crore, making it comfortably one of the most expensive film franchises ever produced in Indian cinema. With Sony handling the international rollout and Karan Johar's Dharma Productions releasing the film in India, the makers are aiming for an unprecedented global theatrical launch. On the release front, Ramayana: Part One is currently being lined up for Diwali 2026. While Diwali falls on November 8, the makers are understood to be considering October 30 and November 6 as the two potential release dates, as reported earlier. The earlier date is reportedly being preferred to secure an IMAX release, as Godzilla Minus Zero is expected to occupy IMAX screens from November 6 onwards. An official announcement regarding the final release date is expected in the coming weeks.