Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana has not reached theatres yet, but expectations around the film are already huge. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has now added to that buzz by saying he hopes the ambitious epic can win an Academy Award for India.
Speaking at the inauguration of producer Namit Malhotra’s new Prime One facility in Mumbai on Thursday, Fadnavis said he would be disappointed if ‘Ramayana’ failed to bring home an Oscar.
“I will be disappointed if the Academy Award doesn’t come to Ramayana,” he was quoted as saying.
Prime One marks a bigger entertainment push
Fadnavis was present for the launch of Prime One, the first phase of Prime Focus Studio’s expansion at Mumbai’s Film City. The facility is part of a larger plan to build Mumbai into an international entertainment hub.
Prime Focus and the Maharashtra government had earlier announced plans at the WAVES Summit for what they called a Global Entertainment Ecosystem in Mumbai.
While speaking at the event, Fadnavis praised Namit Malhotra’s vision. Malhotra is the producer behind ‘Ramayana’, one of the most expensive and ambitious Indian film projects currently in production.
Nitish Bharadwaj also sees Oscar potential
Fadnavis is not the first person connected to ‘Ramayan’ to make a big award prediction.
Actor Nitish Bharadwaj, who became widely known for playing Lord Ram in B.R. Chopra’s iconic television series ‘Ramayan’, recently shared his reaction to the trailer. His assessment was even more direct.
Posting the trailer poster on Instagram, Bharadwaj called the film “Oscar-worthy” and predicted that it could win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. He also praised the production design and cinematography, predicting several awards for the technical teams.
Bharadwaj further applauded Ranbir Kapoor’s transformation for the role of Lord Rama. He said the actor had reached a level “at par with Ranveer Singh.”
Ranbir, Sai Pallavi and Yash lead the epic
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, ‘Ramayana’ is planned as a two-part cinematic adaptation of Valmiki’s epic.
Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, while Sai Pallavi portrays Sita and Kannada star Yash plays Ravana. The film has brought together a large ensemble cast, with Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman.
The cast also includes Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Arun Govil as Dasharatha, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara and Adinath Kothare as Bharat.
- Devendra Fadnavis
- Ramayana
- Ranbir Kapoor
