Salman Khan has a clear message for everyone talking about Nitesh Tiwari‘s Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. The film arrived in cinemas on November 5, 2026, and conversation around it has been dominated by its reported ₹4,000 crore combined budget and its visual effects. Salman thinks the focus has drifted far from where it belongs.
Speaking at the trailer launch of his own upcoming film, Maatrubhumi: May War Rest In Peace, in Mumbai on Friday, November 6, 2026, the superstar did not hold back. He questioned the constant chatter about money and computer graphics, and asked audiences to return to the heart of the epic itself: Ram, Ravana, Sita, and the scriptures.
Salman Khan Questions the Budget and VFX Narrative
The actor’s remarks came during a media interaction at a multiplex in Mumbai. Reporters asked him about the massive scale of Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, and Salman used the moment to push back against what he sees as a wrong direction in the public discussion.
“I just think Ramayana ka charcha Ramayana pe hona chahiye na ki VFX and cost of production par. I think this narrative ki 4000 (budget of Ramayana) aur VFX, VFX, VFX. I just don’t think ki that is correct.”
— Salman Khan at the Maatrubhumi trailer launch
He did not stop there. Salman repeated the point with more clarity, naming the characters that matter.
“I just think ki Ramayana ka charcha Ramayana ke upar hi hona chahiye – Ram, Ravana, Sita, on the scriptures.”
— Salman Khan
The statement drew applause from the attendees at the event, according to reports from the launch. Salman’s words carry weight because the film industry and audiences have spent months dissecting the ₹4,000 crore price tag and debating whether the CGI lives up to the epic’s scale.
What the ₹4,000 Crore Buzz Is Actually About
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is a two-part adaptation of the Hindu epic, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra. The combined budget for both parts is reported to exceed ₹4,000 crore, which translates to roughly $420 million or $500 million depending on the source and exchange rate. Part 1 alone is estimated to have cost around ₹2,000 crore.
The film draws from sage Valmiki‘s ancient text, the Ramayan, and the 16th-century poet Goswami Tulsidas‘s Ramcharitmanas. The scale of the production has made it one of the most expensive Indian films ever mounted, and that number has followed the project everywhere since its release.
Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Goddess Sita, Yash plays Ravana, Ravie Dubey plays Lakshman, and Sunny Deol steps into the role of Lord Hanuman. The ensemble also includes Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, and Kajal Aggarwal.
The film opened in cinemas worldwide on Thursday, November 5, 2026, across all premium formats, ahead of Diwali. The second part is scheduled for release during Diwali 2027.
The VFX Conversation That Refuses to Go Away
Visual effects have been the most debated part of the Ramayana release. The trailer, released in October 2026, drew sharp criticism from some viewers who found the imagery unpolished and compared certain shots to video-game graphics. The involvement of DNEG, the studio behind the visuals of Dune and Interstellar, made the criticism louder because expectations were already sky-high.
Early social media reactions after the film’s release were mixed. Some viewers praised the grand visuals and the action sequences, with Yash‘s Ravana widely called a scene-stealer. Others felt the storytelling and pacing did not match the spectacle. One review from IGN described the film as a majestic epic that “falls victim to clunky action, eye-sore CGI, and awkward AI lip-syncing”.
News18 gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, noting that the VFX deserved appreciation for bringing the mythological world to life, while also acknowledging that the scale made it a big-screen experience. The divide in reactions explains why the budget-and-VFX conversation has been so loud, and why Salman’s intervention stands out.
Salman Khan Links Lord Ram’s Qualities to His Own Role
Salman did not only speak about Ramayana in the abstract. He connected the qualities of Lord Rama to the character he plays in Maatrubhumi, a war drama based on the 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops.
“Ram ji ki kya qualities theen? Best husband, best father, the best warrior, the best son and best brother. Maatrubhumi me is character ke andar ye saari qualities hain.”
— Salman Khan
In the film, Salman portrays Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, the commanding officer of the 16 Bihar Regiment who led Indian troops during the Galwan confrontation and was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. The film is directed by Apoorva Lakhia and also features Chitrangda Singh, Mukesh Rishi, Ankur Bhatia, Zeyn Shaw, and Abhilash Chaudhary.
Salman confirmed that Maatrubhumi: May War Rest In Peace will release in cinemas on December 4, 2026, after multiple delays. He explained that the postponements were caused by VFX work and an injury to co-star Chitrangda Singh, and he dismissed rumours of government pressure on the script as “bakwas” (nonsense).
A Ramayana Dream That Was Shelved Decades Ago
The trailer launch also brought out a lesser-known chapter from Salman’s career. The actor revealed that nearly two decades ago, he and his brother Sohail Khan were set to make a film based on the Ramayana. The project was announced, and the press even portrayed the brothers as Ram and Laxman.
“20 years ago, we were supposed to do Ramayana and then the previous generation of the press, they captured me and my brother exiting from a place at late night after announcing the film. But your press placed two crowns on our heads and it was written, ‘He’s our Ram, and he’s our Laxman.’ So, we shelved our film right there.”
— Salman Khan
Reports have linked the shelving of that earlier project to other factors, but Salman’s account at the event focused on the media reaction and the pressure that followed the announcement. The moment added a personal layer to his defence of Ramayana as a story that deserves to be discussed for its characters, not its price tag.
What Salman Khan Watched and What He Skipped
Salman confirmed that he had watched Ramanand Sagar‘s iconic television adaptation of the Ramayana, a show that remains a cultural reference point for generations of Indian viewers.
When India Today asked him directly whether he had watched Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, Salman simply responded with a smile. He did not confirm or deny, and he did not offer a review of the film. His comments stayed focused on how the conversation around the epic should be shaped, not on grading the film itself.
How the Film Is Performing at the Box Office
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend opened with ₹64.85 crore nett in India on its first day, according to early trade figures. The worldwide gross for day one stands at approximately ₹127.50 crore, with international markets contributing around ₹51.50 crore.
The opening is the second-biggest Hindi film debut of 2026, trailing only Dhurandhar: The Revenge. The Hindi version collected ₹47.50 crore nett, while the Kannada version added ₹7.25 crore nett. The film played across 25,200 shows on its opening day in India.
These numbers place the film among the biggest openers in Bollywood history, even as the debate over its budget and visual effects continues alongside its run in theatres.
Related Stories
A Simple Ask From a Superstar
Salman Khan’s message at the Maatrubhumi trailer launch was not a review of Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. It was a request to change the lens. The film’s budget and its VFX will keep being discussed because they are part of how modern blockbusters are measured. But for Salman, the epic’s value sits in the characters that have lived in Indian storytelling for centuries: Ram, Sita, Ravana, and the scriptures that carry their stories forward.
“Ramayana should be discussed for its characters, Ram, Ravana, Sita, on the scriptures.”
— Salman Khan
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is now playing in cinemas worldwide. Maatrubhumi: May War Rest In Peace is set to arrive on December 4, 2026.
Stay with VvipTimes for clear, fact-checked entertainment news you can trust.
Leave a Reply