Nitesh Tiwari, Ravi Udyawar to direct live-action Ramayana trilogy at Rs 500 crore budget
Nitesh Tiwari and Ravi Udyawar are set to co-direct live-action trilogy "Ramayana", producer Madhu Mantena announced on Monday. Tiwari of "Dangal" fame and "Mom" director Udyawar are joining hands to helm the series which will be made in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu and shot in 3D, a press release said.
Besides Mantena, Allu Aravind and Namit Malhotra are also attached to produce the project, which is mounted on an estimated budget of Rs 500 crore.
The epic Ramayana is not only a revered ancient text in Indian mythology but also an integral part of the culture, said Tiwari, adding the team will make sure the film bears a stamp of authenticity.
"Madhu and Ravi have been friends for years, Allu sir and Namit are legends and Sridhar has fabulous credentials as a creator. All we have to do now is zap the world...
"Apart from Ram and Raavan, every character, be it, Sita, Lakshman or even Hanuman, has something to say which is why we are telling the story in three parts," Tiwari said in a statement.
Udyawar said he is looking forward to direct the film.
"I heard these stories from my grandmother and mother and passed them on to my children. Everybody knows the story of Ram, Sita and Raavan, it's the storytelling that will make our trilogy memorable and I'm putting everything I have learnt into it to make it fun and engaging while staying true to the original," he added.
"Ramayana" will be made with actors from Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati and Punjabi film industries as the makers are targeting pan-India as well as the global audience.
The project has been in progress for the past three years.
The team is hoping to start production next year and eyeing a 2021 release for the first part.
