Mukesh Khanna Calls Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Ramayana’ A ‘Waste Of Money’, Calls For NOC Before Release

Actor Mukesh Khanna has quesioned the reported budget of Rs 4,000 budget of Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash and Ravie Dubey’s film Ramayana. He argued that the epic does not need such a massive investment to reach audiences. He has also stressed that filmmakers adapting religious texts carry a serious responsibilty and should not take creative liberties with stories that hold deep significance for millions of people. Calling the excessive spending a “wastage of money”, Khanna has urged the formation of a committee to review religious films before they receive permission for release.

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‘Jhooth Toh Nahi Daal Diya?’

Speaking about the film, Khanna said that the financial success of a project was not his primary concern. What mattered, he said, was whether filmmakers stayed true to the original story instead of adding details that could distort its meaning.

He said, “Mujhe isse farq nahi padta ki aapne hazaar crore kamaya. Mujhe yeh farq padta hai ki aapne hazaar rupaye ka bhi truth toh nahi chhupa diya? Ya aapne uske andar hazaar rupaye ka jhooth toh nahi daal diya? Because yeh normal story nahi hai, yeh Ramayan ki story hai. Hamare yahan par do scriptures hain, ek Ramayana, ek Mahabharata. Isko aap touch karoge toh you are carrying a very serious responsibility on your shoulders ki aap isse chhedchhad nahi kar sakte.” [I don’t care whether you have earned a thousand crores. What matters to me is whether you have hidden even a thousand rupees worth of truth or added even a thousand rupees worth of lies to it. Because this is not an ordinary story; this is the story of the Ramayana. We have two scriptures in our culture: the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. If you touch them, you carry a very serious responsibility on your shoulders. You cannot tamper with them.]

#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: On the recently released ‘Ramayana’ movie, actor Mukesh Khanna said, “A very prominent actor from our film industry remarked that a film like this hasn’t been made in the last 100 years. I suppose it must be that good. But here’s the issue: it doesn’t matter to me whether you’ve earned a thousand crores. What matters is whether you’ve concealed even a shred of the truth, or if you’ve introduced even a shred of falsehood. This isn’t just any ordinary story; it is the story of the Ramayana. We have two foundational scriptures, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and if you choose to engage with them, a great responsibility rests upon your shoulders; you cannot simply tamper with them… The Ramayana is hardly a boring story that requires a Rs 4,000-crore budget just to make it accessible to today’s audience. If the Rs 4,000-crore expenditure ends up overshadowing the story itself, then I would call it a waste of money. As I stated earlier, in the pursuit of grandeur, the essence, the emotions, has been sacrificed.” (12.11)

— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2026

Khanna pointed out that the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are not ordinary stories that filmmakers can freely reshape. According to him, adapting either epic comes with a responsibility to preserve its central narrative and avoid unnecessary changes.

Actor Calls ‘Ramayana’, A ‘Wastage Of Money’

Khanna actor drew a distinction between making a fictional spectacle and adapting a religious epic. Citing Baahubali as an example, he said filmmakers have greater creative freedom when working with fictional stories.

“Toh film dekho, do pehlu hain. Ek hai film aur ek hai Ramayan. Film Baahubali bhi thi, bahut achhi thi. Uspe aap hazaar kya, pachaas hazaar crore kharch bhi kar do, farq nahi padta. Lekin uske andar jo tum dikhaoge, wahan liberty hai,” he said. [So watch the film. There are two aspects to it: one is the film, and the other is the Ramayana. Baahubali was also a film, and it was very good. You could spend not just a thousand crores but even Rs 50,000 crore on it; that makes no difference. But when it comes to what you portray in it, you have creative liberty.]

He went on to argue that the Ramayana does not require a budget running into thousands of crores to make its story engaging. Referring to earlier screen adaptations, he said the strength of the narrative matters more than the amount spent on production.

He added, “Ramayan mein aapko zaroori nahi hai ki aap chaar hazaar crore kharch karo. Aap do crore mein Ansh chal gayi, Hanuman. Because kahaani hai. Toh Ramayan ki kahaani koi aisi boring kahaani nahi hai jo aaj ki public ko samjhaane ke liye aapko chaar hazaar crore kharch karne ki zaroorat hai. Aur agar chaar hazaar crore aapki story ke upar haavi ho jaata hai, toh phir main usko bolunga ki waste hai company.” [You don’t necessarily have to spend Rs 4,000 crore on the Ramayana. Ansh and Hanuman worked even with a budget of Rs 2 crore because it is the story that matters. The story of the Ramayana is not so boring that you need to spend Rs 4,000 crore to make today’s audience understand it. And if those Rs 4,000 crore end up overshadowing your story, then I would call that a waste of the company’s money.]

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Mukesh Khanna Calls For Committee To Review Religious Films

Khanna further questioned whether filmmakers who do not show responsibility towards religious epics should be allowed to make such films. He proposed setting up a committee that could examine the content and ensure that adaptations do not depart from the established stories.

Mukesh Khanna said, “Mera yeh manna hai ki if Censor Board is not responsible enough to stop such films. Then you make a committee, ek aayog committee banao…jiske andar scholars baithe hue hain, aur unse pass karwao. Tab tak film banne ki ijazzat nahi honi chahiye.” [I believe that if the Censor Board is not responsible enough to stop such films, then a committee should be formed. Set up a commission comprising scholars and have them review and approve such films. Until then, permission to make the film should not be granted.]

He added, “They should not be allowed to make films because they are not responsible towards their epics. Toh ek committee banni chahiye. Woh committee se aap ‘okay’ karwa ke lao. Phir mujhe bolne ki zaroorat nahi padegi, kyunki yeh logon ne dekha hai. Toh aise scenes nahi aayenge ki Sita ko fight karwa diya. Woh bolenge, Sita ki fight nahi hai, aap kahan se la rahe ho?” [They should not be allowed to make films because they are not responsible towards their epics. So, a committee should be formed. Get the film approved by that committee first. Then I won’t need to say anything because these people have reviewed it. That way, scenes showing Sita fighting will not be included. They will point out that Sita does not fight, so where are you getting this from?]

#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: Actor Mukesh Khanna said, “I believe the Censor Board is not responsible enough to stop such films. A dedicated commission should be established. Anyone wishing to make a film based on historical or mythological subjects, whether it concerns the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, or even a figure like Lord Ganesha, must be required to have their project reviewed and approved by a committee of scholars. Permission to produce the film should not be granted until this approval is obtained… If such a committee exists, there would be no need for me to speak out, as they would ensure that inappropriate scenes, such as depicting Goddess Sita engaged in a fight, are never included… Matters of religion and faith are at stake here; one cannot simply toy with someone’s religion…” (12.11)

— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2026

He also called for filmmakers to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the proposed committee before making or releasing a religious film. Khanna maintained that religious beliefs should not be treated casually, as such stories are closely connected to the faith of millions.