Salman Khan said the discussion around Ramayana should centre on the epic and its characters, not on the film’s reported Rs 4,000 crore budget or its visual effects. The Salman Khan Ramayana remarks came at the trailer launch of his own film, Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace, in Mumbai on Friday 6 November.
“I think the discussion around Ramayana should be focused on Ramayana, and not the VFX, cost of production and other peripherals,” Khan told the media at the event in Andheri West. “This entire narrative of INR 4000 crores around the film, and its VFX is redundant. The discussion should be around Ramayana, Ram, Sita and Ravan.”
Salman Khan Ramayana comments at the trailer launch
Khan spoke in Hindi at the event, saying the film should be discussed for the epic itself and for Ram, Ravana and Sita, and for what the scriptures say about them. He added that the repeated talk of the budget and the visual effects did not sit right with him, and that the story should come first.
The actor also spoke about Ram’s qualities, describing him as the ideal son, husband, father, warrior and brother, and the Salman Khan Ramayana remarks kept returning to the characters rather than the craft. He drew a parallel with his own character in Maatrubhumi, saying the role carries similar moral qualities. The film, directed by Apoorva Lakhia and produced under the Salman Khan Films banner, is a war drama, and Khan attended the trailer launch with his co-actors.
Khan also announced a ticket pricing move for older audiences at the event, saying viewers aged 75 and above would be charged Rs 11 per ticket for Maatrubhumi. When India Today asked him if he had seen Ramayana, he smiled and did not give a direct answer.
Salman Khan Ramayana budget debate in context
The reported budget has been one of the main talking points around Nitesh Tiwari’s film since before its release. Producer Namit Malhotra has said the combined budget for the two parts is expected to cross Rs 4,000 crore, which would make it one of the most expensive film projects in Indian cinema. The film’s visual effects, its casting and its music have also drawn heavy comment online.
The music is by A. R. Rahman in collaboration with Hans Zimmer, and the cast is led by Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. Ravi Dubey plays Lakshman and Sunny Deol plays Hanuman. The film reached cinemas worldwide on Thursday 5 November as the first of two parts based on the epic, with the second part planned for Diwali 2028.
The Salman Khan Ramayana remarks landed a day after the film opened to a big start at the box office. Trade tracker Sacnilk put the day one India net at Rs 64.85 crore, and the film crossed Rs 221 crore gross worldwide in its first two days, with Rs 48.05 crore net in India on day two.
Salman Khan Ramayana remarks and the film’s opening
Khan is not the first star to weigh in on the conversation around the film, which has run from its scale and its effects to its casting and its music, and the Salman Khan Ramayana remarks add a star’s voice to a debate that has run since before release. His point was narrower: the budget and the effects are the wrong measure for a film based on a text that audiences already know by heart, and the characters are the part worth talking about.
The trailer launch itself drew attention for Maatrubhumi, which Khan is preparing to release after Ramayana’s opening weekend, and the Salman Khan Ramayana remarks travelled well beyond the event. The film has been in the news under its earlier title, Battle of Galwan, before the makers settled on Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace.
Ramayana continues in cinemas through the Diwali weekend, with advance booking for Sunday 8 November shows running at Rs 22.72 crore gross, according to TrackTollywood. The Salman Khan Ramayana comments are likely to keep the budget debate going, even as the film’s collections move past the numbers that started it.