Dil Raju says Ramayana makers have not yet struck OTT deals, predicts ₹2000 crore collection, reacts to criticism of Sai Pallavi's warrior scenes

Chairman of the Telangana Film Development Corporation (TFDC), who distributed Ramayana in the Telugu states, spoke about the Nitesh Tiwari film.

Chairman of the Telangana Film Development Corporation (TFDC) and film producer Dil Raju is also the distributor of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana in the Telugu states. As the film recently grossed ₹1000 crore worldwide, the filmmaker held a press conference in Hyderabad to discuss its success. He addressed criticism of the portrayal of Sai Pallavi’s Sita as a warrior, predicted the film’s box-office collection, and revealed that the makers have not yet secured OTT and satellite deals.

Sai Pallavi's Sita is portrayed as a warrior in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana.

Dil Raju predicts ₹2000 crore collection for Ramayana

Happy with the rate at which Ramayana is progressing at the box office, Raju predicted a ₹2000 crore worldwide gross collection for it and a ₹100 crore collection in the Telugu states. He said, “The film has already reached ₹1000 crore worldwide. The revenue is extraordinary. My expectation is that it will reach ₹1800 crore to ₹2000 crore worldwide. In the future, if it is released in China and elsewhere, we don’t even know what number can be achieved. In Telugu alone, I am expecting it to make more than ₹100 crore.”

No OTT and satellite deals struck for Ramayana yet

When asked if he would forgo striking digital and satellite deals before releasing a film, Raju disagreed but said, “I am doing this comfortably, and I have a good relationship with everybody. I am completing all my films after getting OTT deals. But for example, the makers of Ramayana made a big-budget film, but they haven’t sold its OTT and satellite rights. You will have to watch the film in theatres alone. You can only watch it on OTT once they decide on it. It depends on the film and the producer.”

Addresses criticism over Sai Pallavi’s scenes in Ramayana

Nitesh portrays Sita in his film not just as a dutiful wife but as a trained warrior who steps up when needed and fights alongside Ranbir Kapoor’s Rama and Ravi Dubey’s Lakshman. This portrayal did not align with Valmiki’s text and received criticism. When Raju was asked about it at the conference, he also addressed broader criticism of the film.

“When I knew they were making Ramayana, and before I even knew that I would distribute it in Telugu states, I was doubtful. It’s a story we all knew; what would they do to hold our attention for three hours? But when I watched the film at the preview theatre all by myself, I almost had happy tears in my eyes. I realised that if it moved me while I was sitting alone, I’m sure the audience would feel it in the theatre,” said Raju.

He also added, “When something as wonderful as this is made, it is also expected that people would have something to say. But I believe that cinema must be viewed as cinema. That’s when you enjoy it in theatres. But it’s also why the film is making numbers; why else would it? As soon as I watched the film, I knew it would perform very well in the North. Once a film has reached the audience and begun bringing in numbers, the criticism does not matter; only the positivity does.”

Ramayana is currently running in theatres after its November 5 release. Yash plays Ravana in the film, and the second part, set for release in Diwali 2028, will feature Sunny Deol as Hanuman.