Producer
Madhu
Mantena
is
working
on
an
ambitious,
three-part
retelling
of
the
Ramayana
from
Valmiki's
standpoint
and
he
is
confident
that
the
story
will
have
a
global
appeal
with
its
never-before-seen
visuals.
The
live-action
trilingual
film
series
in
Hindi,
Tamil
and
Telugu,
will
be
directed
by
Dangal
director
Nitesh
Tiwari
and
Mom
director
Ravi
Udyawar.
The
screenplay
is
written
by
Sridhar
Raghavan.
Mantena,
who
backed
landmark
films
such
as
Ghajini,
Lootera,
Queen
and
Udta
Punjab
in
the
past,
has
joined
hands
with
producers
Allu
Aravind
and
Namit
Malhotra
to
bring
the
adaptation
to
the
big
screen.
"We
are
trying
to
tell
Ramayana
for
posterity.
It
is
fortunate
that
all
of
us
have
the
opportunity
to
tell
Ramayana
in
its
glory
in
today’s
time.
This
is
an
appropriate
time
to
tell
this
story.
I
keep
citing
the
example
of
Mangalyaan
and
how
India
built
a
world-class
satellite
at
a
fraction
of
the
cost.
This
is
our
Mangalyaan,
we
are
making
this
for
the
world,
(but)
it
is
from
India,”
Mantena
told
PTI.
Ramayana
has
already
seen
an
adaptation
in
1987
by
Ramanand
Sagar,
which
is
considered
a
cult
classic
in
television
today.
Arun
Govil
and
Deepika
Chikhalia
played
the
roles
of
Ram
and
Sita
in
the
story.
Another
TV
adaptation
in
2008,
starring
real-life
couple
Gurmeet
Choudhary
and
Debina
Bonnerjee,
was
also
a
hit.
Mantena,
46,
said
his
team
is
narrating
the
epic
from
Valmiki’s
standpoint
and
it
will
be
a
never-before-seen
world
that
they
are
creating.
"We
are
telling
Valmiki’s
Ramyana
and
sub-stories
that
are
there.
It
is
a
straight
telling
of
a
straight
story
that
all
of
us
know.
The
interpretation
visually
of
the
epic,
I
don't
think
has
been
fully
exploited.
I
don’t
think
we
have
seen
it
in
all
its
glory.
Through
the
imagination
of
Nitesh
and
Ravi,
we
intend
to
show
a
world
that
has
never
been
seen
before,”
he
said.
The
producer
hopes
that
the
trilogy
will,
hopefully,
reach
the
young
audiences
who
will
finally
get
to
know
"what
great
stories
we
have
had
but
never
had
the
opportunity
to
explore
them
in
all
their
glory".
Asked
about
how
cautious
the
producers
are
given
that
films
that
have
anything
to
do
with
religion
land
in
trouble,
Mantena
said
they
are
not
trying
to
reinterpret
the
epic.
"Nitesh's
family
would
narrate
Ramayana
for
generations.
This
is
not
a
team
that
is
trying
to
reinterpret
anything.
We
are
telling
a
traditional
'Ramayana'
(story).
So
the
point
of
being
careful
comes
when
you
want
to
question...."
Mantena,
who
began
working
on
the
project
four
years
ago,
said
he
is
aware
of
the
monumental
task
of
bringing
the
story
to
celluloid.
"It
is
a
linear
story
and
it
has
more
magic
than
most
of
our
stories
like
it
has
demons,
Rakshasas,
Asuras,
Garuda,
etc.
This
is
such
an
intense
and
beautiful
world
that
it
needs
a
lot
of
work.
It
is
not
something
that
you
can
do
overnight.
It
is
a
huge
responsibility.
You
need
to
do
a
lot
of
research
both
in
content
and
visuals," he
said,
adding
that
more
than
200
artists
have
been
working
around
the
clock
for
almost
two
years
on
it.
"We
are
creating
digital
assets.
It
is
painstaking
and
you
need
to
have
a
lot
of
patience.
I
am
fortunate
Nitesh
and
Ravi
have
taken
on
this
purpose
and
are
giving
time
that
a
retelling
of
this
magnitude
and
size
needs
to
be
given.
The
beauty
is
in
the
detail."
Ramayana
is
touted
to
be
made
at
a
budget
of
Rs
600
crore,
which
Mantena
said,
two
years
ago,
seemed
ok
but
today
feels
insufficient.
The
film
is
in
the
advanced
pre-production
stage
and
the
makers
are
scouting
for
actors
across
India.
Speculation
is
rife
about
Telugu
star
Mahesh
Babu
and
Bollywood
Hrithik
Roshan
being
approached
for
the
film,
along
with
Bollywood
actresses
Deepika
Padukone
and
Kareena
Kapoor
Khan.
Mantena
did
not
reveal
details
about
who
all
have
been
approached
but
said
since
it
is
a
pan-India
film,
the
makers
will
reach
out
to
whoever
suits
the
role
better.
"We
are
in
conversation
with
actors
and
we
are
hoping
we
will
get
all
the
actors
we
want.
It
is
still
a
long
process.
We
will
announce
the
casting
around
the
end
of
the
year," he
added.