Yash & Namit Malholtra talk RAMAYANA movie & TOXIC at CinemaCon in Las Vegas - April 13, 2026 4K

Added: 2026-05-02

[00:00:02][music] [music] >> Uh so thank you for your for this.

[00:00:19]Um so of course the big question um supposed to be a senior bill's producers on it. Uh why why why now when there's so many there's been so many different versions like most direct adaptations and of course you know even more like worldwide that were inspired by the Ramayana. So why is this the right time to to do this in such a lavish way?

[00:00:43]So So I think from my starting point personally I have not really felt that Ramayana has ever been presented in its truest form in terms of its greatest scale for the biggest screens in the world.

[00:01:00]And just the fact that you know it's such such a big part of the Indian belief system and I feel like personally cuz I had my own journey in moving from India to LA and then London and I always felt that we were not represented as Indian film or as Indian storytelling or as India as a country at large you know in terms of who we are. We were always presented as a victim like the the third world the developing nation the Slumdog Millionaire you know we were never the and Ramayana to me really represents the spirit of our evolution or our history in a way that thousands of years ago we actually had it all figured out.

[00:01:44]And that is where I feel that the story and this perspective needs to come across to the world uh beyond the Indian diaspora and and really present itself where I think the world at large should consume it because it's such a timeless rendition of humanity.

[00:02:03]Especially since uh this has been around for so long you know and a lot of people like you said you know has still have to this day have this you know you know perception of you know Indian people in huts and stuff like that. You know and not the grand epic superhero-ish type print and scale of things. But uh so you guys so held out but with you especially coming I'm going to ask you producing in addition to starring in. I think there is never a right time or a wrong time when it comes to Ramayana because it's been there since 5,000 years and there are many ways people have tried to tell this story through television through plays. If you go to India even in small villages the smallest uh villages you find regular people who work in other fields other business they all come together once in a year they they learn to act even though they're not professionally trained or they're not professional actors. They come together and they they showcase this play. The story is part of culture so there are many ways people have told this story. I think it's our turn now to give our best and try and put it in the best available technology use you will use of that technology and tell it. And maybe there'll be many more after few years there'll be advanced technology and somebody will come and say you know what there's a better way to tell this story. So this story is so relevant. If it has stayed for so long there must be something. So it's our take on it.

[00:03:31]It means all of us know the story as the technology progresses or we feel that it can be told in a more grander way we are doing it. I think that's that's about it. I think even after 20 years you'll be finding many of our many many of the Indian filmmakers coming and telling you that you know what then it's this story needs to be told in a better way. There is never a right way. We are giving our best trying our best with the resources what we have.

[00:03:59]That's the main I think every generation wants its own Ramayana if >> [clears throat] >> I could put it honestly. I think we've we've consumed it growing up.

[00:04:09]I think we need to have something that our children and their children should feel excited to want to learn about it and want to feel like it's something that it's very relevant in in their evolution when they look at world cinema Ramayana should stand next to it if not better than what they see otherwise.

[00:04:28]As as someone who's you know starting out doing a lot of effects work and and out in working Hollywood effects work do you feel that um uh it it's that now is the time for like for you personally like there was this all was this all leading up to this moment?

[00:04:45]You know it's a it's interesting cuz you know I aspirationally 30 years ago when I started I was always keen to be a filmmaker and then I took the path of you know building up this little garage startup into what's one of the largest companies in the world with over 10,000 people across various parts of the world.

[00:05:06]And then at the end of that journey I'm sort of I feel like now I'm making the Ramayana and it feels like what I did for the last 30 years was my training ground to actually be able to tell the story or bring this vision to life.

[00:05:20]And that is something that I feel actually blessed that you know we and we say that all the time that you don't choose the Ramayana you know Ramayana chooses you and so it feels like you know all of us who've got together if you think about the people who are actually playing in front of the camera behind the camera it's almost a dream that you you that you've got such degree of talent all coming together with that much enthusiasm to bring this to the world. I think that is uh you can't plan these things. This is uh cinematic magic as they call it.

[00:06:01]Were you always uh aiming to have a pan-Indian cast from all the different industries or would it just work out that way? You know like you said um but what were you considering it is like the Indian story did you intentionally go from different industries to get I think there's always the aspiration to bring the best of India and you know to make that happen you know it it's it's been a very interesting evolution of sorts.

[00:06:32]You know Yash and I met actually just a few years ago after KGF 2 came out and in one chance meeting I don't think I was thinking of him joining Ramayana and neither was he thinking of being part of it and but the way we spoke and the way we connected it almost became apparent that we had to do something together and I think we both aligned on this vision that can we bring something from India to the world in a way that we can all be proud of doing that and that I think is how he came on board and really has supported that in its full might and like Yash and our other people like Hans Zimmer and you know some absolute top tier action and other teams you know sort of all collaborating to really help elevate and raise the bar of what what is being made.

[00:07:30]So so um also which I brought the in in front of the camera but why Nitesh Tiwari for director cuz the lockets work is going very grounded and not so you know you know not not necessarily you know like at this scale of being you know the fantasy type. I think uh what you just described of him is exactly what we wanted because what we really wanted was someone who is incredibly well grounded in the culture incredibly talented and smart in uh understanding the emotion and the characters that uh are again so close to people's hearts and his ability to think and really create those moments and layer them with the emotion and the right kind of emotion I think is paramount.

[00:08:18]I don't think there's any film in the world that succeeds if it doesn't sort of connect with you emotionally and I think uh Nitesh done tremendous job in in doing that.

[00:08:30]Obviously we have a lot of the let's say the visual effects capability and the technical infrastructure and that is something that we use as our sort of our capability to we do that with every director that we work with is we try and give them the security cover or that covering to say hey you go and dream it and we'll help do it.

[00:08:54]So you know it's a similar collaboration with Nitesh that we did and what mattered to me most was that at heart he genuinely loved the Ramayana and genuinely cared about the epic.

[00:09:07]Uh he grew up learning about it like all most of us uh and you know and I think that authenticity and honesty with which he does his job is very hard to find.

[00:09:21]And Mr. Yash so uh a lot of green and blue screen and this and acting toward things aren't there places that aren't there. How do you maintain that emotional authenticity and with that groundedness that we were referring to you referred It's a unique experience. Uh but what happened is with the expertise of DNEG they they were very prepared in advance so all of us knew what's going to be the background. So we all had an idea it's not like we were just shooting and then we were imagining that something's going to come there. So we almost knew what exactly it's going to look like.

[00:09:58]So, it made it easy for us to understand the scale in which this particular visual or scene going to be portrayed. So, it it really became very easy. And uh the whole team was been it had been working for like many years. So, I think it was crystal clear for everybody that how it's going to look.

[00:10:17]Yes, it is difficult. It really helps if you're in real location. But, the kind of the blend what they used the real I mean sunset were constructed in a way to look very real.

[00:10:29]And then at the same time, we had to imagine some stuff. That's part of our job. I think as an actor, you you have to do that. That's where we bring in our expertise.

[00:10:39]And as like as someone who grew up with Ramayana, was it like kind of fun like all these things that you maybe have imagined as a child to like, you know, like you're in this playground? Yeah.

[00:10:47]Yeah. Yeah, always because it's a very fascinating story because Ramayana like I told you, it's it's there even before you know what the story. Like in your home, they start telling you these stories as as a kid you start hearing and then you have seen in television and then it's there in schools and colleges. It's everywhere.

[00:11:09]So, it's something like there's many versions to it and you're excited. You know these characters and suddenly when you come to a point where you are trying to tell that story. And as an actor, I've done many roles or I've been here for a while.

[00:11:23]But, especially when it comes to Ramayana, then suddenly you become like, oh, how do we do this now? Like, you know, if take out the tag of Ramayana and if I have to play a king who's like this, uh who is arrogant or who is very powerful who who wants to do so many things which may or may not be accepted by the rest of it's it's pretty much easy. But, when it attaches to the tag of Ramayana and when you call it Ravana, then unknowingly it starts playing in your head because so many people have played it in so many ways and it's been uh portrayed in many many styles, not just cinema or you know, television or plays. There's lot of cultural things in India, art forms. In all those art forms, it's been played. Basically, the story has been told in many ways.

[00:12:13]But, still it is so exciting and people are still curious.

[00:12:16]And I think emotion is universal.

[00:12:19]Emotion what these characters carry is very universal. So, when we are presenting it to the world and we're representing our country, so nobody can get Ramayana right, that I can tell you.

[00:12:29]We can only try. I think we're giving our best.

[00:12:32]What is more important is the intent and the honesty in which we approach this. So, yes, I'm very excited. But, at the same time, I'm very I generally don't say nervous as an actor, but I have to say because you know, people have their own imagination. Like I would have imagined it some way. Some other person some other actor comes and he will imagine it some way. But, it it will always be questioned. But, more or less, I think it's loved. It's a good problem to have.

[00:12:58]So, that excitement is there. At the same time, responsibility is also there.

[00:13:02]How has all the roguish like gangster type characters, you know, gritty characters that you've played, you know, informed your portrayal of Ravana? Ah.

[00:13:13]I think Ravana as a character has got many shades.

[00:13:17]Quite literally, he's got 10 heads.

[00:13:20]That's [clears throat] That's That is just to tell you that he had so much of shades in Each head represented one quality of him. He was master of so many things.

[00:13:31]Like he was music maestro.

[00:13:33]He was good at >> [clears throat] >> Vedas. He's a very well-read person. There are many such attributes to him. So, gangster is like a small thing. So, basically, maybe it was a preparation. I don't want to compare him to gangster. But, all the dark emotions or the dark side of the human we explore in gangster. Ravana is like 10 folds.

[00:14:00]So, just helped probably like I loved dark character. As an actor, it's very exciting to play those kind of characters because you know, you get to experience certain things which you generally can't do it in real life.

[00:14:12]You'll be put behind bars. So, those kind of role exactly. But, in when you become a Ravana, then there's no limitation. He's going after everybody.

[00:14:20]He's going after devas. He's going after God himself. So, there's no limit to that character. This character is like the ultimate I don't even know I don't know whether I can say bad guy or a good guy. He's like He's always Is he he Yeah. I mean, he's got those qualities.

[00:14:41]He's Asura.

[00:14:44]Yeah.

[00:14:45]Were you always intending for this to be two parts and to shoot it in English and all the other languages?

[00:14:52]No, so uh we had originally actually conceived it to be three parts. And then we actually decided to make it into and uh you know, it just felt like we had you know, that it would it would be great.

[00:15:06]Otherwise, it would take too long sort of tell the story and bring the conclusion to the point where you sort of don't have audiences waiting forever.

[00:15:16]So, that's sort of is where creatively we got to.

[00:15:19]And obviously, the goal is that we're leveraging some you know, unique technologies now that we're developing uh proprietarily on on our side that should hopefully bring it to the various parts of the world in local language as part of that.

[00:15:38]So, um uh is it going to be it's worldwide part one and to be all this year?

[00:15:43]>> Yes.

[00:15:44]And will that be even the English version during that? Yes.

[00:15:48]And so, what are you like targeting like like larger like release for like that month or like say like your less than stuff? Or is it going to be more are you targeting for like standard um uh like digital version given name? I think the goal is to try and present the film in you know, to the people of the world and as effectively as we can. So, there's a lot of uh work that we're doing right now to try and ensure that we can bring it with the greatest amount of authenticity in the key markets in the key uh languages so that uh that when people watch the Ramayana, they should feel to be a lot more seamless and organic uh you know, viewing experience and it does not become uh a foreign film as the tendency typically tends to be.

[00:16:44]And that's sort of is where we're working hard. There'll be more stuff we will be able to showcase soon enough that hopefully gives that insight into what it is that we're doing and how we're doing it.

[00:16:56]Um So, what was the most challenging part uh for either of you about this? I know what you probably Yeah, you guys have some but what sticks in your mind is like uh something actually something you were afraid of the most going into this and then how you overcame that or did you?

[00:17:15]Well, I think people are really attached to Ramayana.

[00:17:22]So, to an extent where the smallest error can make it look like we were careless.

[00:17:32]But, that's not the case. As filmmakers, we only can work up to up to a stage where we how much we know is what we can do.

[00:17:41]But, that's something which bothered me.

[00:17:43]Like I was thinking, okay, yes, everybody here are trying to give their best. Everybody are really First, I checked whether the intent is right.

[00:17:51]Because with Namit, he's doing a lot of things in life. He's a very successful businessman.

[00:17:57]As a VFX company, he's won seven to eight Oscars. He's established himself. Then, why why Ramayana?

[00:18:05]You know, if you want to make money, you can just make a movie and then you know, get the commercially all those formulas in place and then show your VFX skill. But, that's not the point. The intent here is to showcase our Indian culture or our story which is global, not just to show that a film coming from India.

[00:18:24]Story from India as a global film.

[00:18:28]That vision it's a big vision. But, also like with all those possibilities, there's also a possibility of people really not understanding the effort which goes behind. That was something which was uh I was really worried when and I had never played pure uh you know, antagonist kind of a character. So, that was there.

[00:18:51]But, then I felt this whole stardom or whatever we have got, it's from people and these kind of things we need to do.

[00:18:59]That's where we connected. We need to take our industry or our film industry or our story into the world because world is ready now. After internet revolution, people consume a lot of content all over the world. So, and I think it's right time or time like you asked for us to present because people are open is what we felt.

[00:19:19]And that was the biggest fear for me.

[00:19:21]Like will we be able to give our best?

[00:19:25]But, even today that's our biggest fear.

[00:19:26]We are giving our best. People are working really hard, sleepless nights, and going into tiniest detail, trying to do you know, this Everybody is doing their research.

[00:19:38]Trust me, even people from West who are coming here, they're also doing their research at its best. But, still but still it's not enough. That was the only thing. But, right now I think the way people have received it and people have understood the intent of this film. Now I'm relieved.

[00:19:54]You're saying that I think uh I've had many different parts in this journey of getting to where we are, but you know, because of my own experience that I talked about initially, you know, when I moved to uh America and started to build my career here and you know, met people.

[00:20:18]It it was always something that troubled me for a long time and it was not specific about Ramayana and it was more in general that we were always seen as that, as the have-nots.

[00:20:30]And in spite of our academic intelligence, our commercial success, it just felt like as a country, as a nation, we were always somewhat of a like we were always treated as a second.

[00:20:45]And that to me was something that really I felt like I would had to find a way to use the medium that we are part of, which is filmmaking and you know, it's something that actually speaks so beautifully to people across the world. How do we use the power of that to bring a story and communicate it to the world? And that is sort of I was trying to fix that challenge with uh and and Ramayana became the solution. Now in making Ramayana as Yash very elegantly described, there is there is no perfect answer. You know, there is uh everybody's got a point of view. My mother who prays to Lord Ram every day has a different view of him and my father has a different view of uh of him and you know, my grandmother had a different view of him. So, it's it's never going to be you know, perfect because there is no such thing, but uh we also know that what we are doing and the kind of passion and energy that's going in that we will absolutely over-deliver to the best of our abilities and that uh is a challenge and a responsibility that I think we're all excited to bring out in the best way we can.

[00:22:01]So, if this uh part two pin in the can, I mean, it's worse. We are filming as we speak.

[00:22:05]>> Okay. How much how much longer do you have left to I think another three to six months. Oh.

[00:22:11]And while while post is still ongoing Our post is on part one and part two.

[00:22:16]Yeah.

[00:22:17]All of this has to happen simultaneously.

[00:22:19]Oh.

[00:22:20]And uh briefly, Toxic. So, uh in Engine Yeah. June 4th. So, what can you say say about Toxic?

[00:22:30]Toxic is another unique film and I think it also has a similar ambition. Right now, most of us, especially like I can talk on behalf of Namit and we both of us have similar vision to as I told you, to showcase our talent or our storytelling in the global in an international platform. So, Toxic also started with that intent.

[00:22:51]That's why we have started in English as well. So, that's another thing we tried in this film.

[00:22:57]Toxic is on a surface level, it might look like a gangster film, but it is very layered and uh it's it's it's something where you understand the person's dilemmas, person's uh you know, dark side in a very unusual way. So, it's a very interesting in a metaphor the most of the things are told in a metaphoric way. So, that's unique about that story.

[00:23:28]Of course, it's got all the commercial elements. They've got some great performances.

[00:23:33]A lot of uh you know, popular stars in the country have come together. That itself is very unique about Toxic because generally uh for five actresses to come together who are doing really well in their respective careers have come together and a lot of new talent has come together and director Geetu Mohandas is known for very interesting storytelling. So, it's a very unique film and uh it's a large-scale action film. A lot of action, a lot of uh basically, what I would say and done, it's a very unique attempt. It's an original IP. In these days, it's very uh difficult to find those we we all have to think of business and we go behind franchises as well, but this is a very unique IP. Something like Sinners.

[00:24:17]Sinners was something very unique and interesting, but people accepted it and they really enjoyed it. So, Toxic, I can tell you that it's going to be or you very original, refreshing uh gangster film.

[00:24:29]And then you're there's some talk about the fairy tale, right? Right. Fairy tale for grown-ups. That kind of suggests the whole hope uniqueness that you said.

[00:24:37]Yeah, see what happens is uh we have uh fixed formula in storytelling. We try to cater to certain audience and then we don't uh go into depths of storytelling sometimes. So, when when we started writing this, uh when we were discussing about this, that story, the character was taking us very deep and the we we we could touch certain zones of human emotions which rarely we bring it on screen. So, we just thought, "Okay, let's make it a call it a fairy tale." because it's it's intentionally uh done in that area where it it is like a fairy tale for grown-ups. So, we've taken that liberty in terms of location or storytelling. We've created a world.

[00:25:21]We've created a world which is very realistic at the same time we've taken a liberty like a fairy tale so we can play around so we can get to that particular emotion and people And uh are you continuing to do uh Hollywood stuff in addition to going back for Swades in the interim? No, for sure.

[00:25:40]And you have like Angry Birds and and Animal Friends. I like a lot of animation. Yeah, uh anything else?

[00:25:46]Uh so, uh Angry Birds 3 comes out later this year.

[00:25:50]That's again something we're producing with uh other people and uh Animal Friends is a film that has been produced with Legendary and uh to be distributed by Warner Brothers.

[00:26:02]So, we are uh pretty continuing to produce content and continuing to produce uh high-end you know, animation and live-action films.

[00:26:12]And then as far as Engine goes, uh yeah, you're you're like dizzy focusing on this right now.

[00:26:17]I think we're doing this, but you know, as DNEG, uh we obviously continue to work on some of the biggest films that are all in production and will come through the year. Oh, DNEG is behind Toxic as well. Oh. It was sunny out. So, did that come through that chance meeting that you Oh, yeah. I just met him for VFX.

[00:26:36]I went to LA and I was meeting a lot of people and then I met him for VFX and then we happened to spend time and then we ended up doing Ramayana together.

[00:26:48]And the first uh work the first and second of many to come, I'm sure.

[00:26:53]And uh also, so what's the status of the Astraverse? I I mean, you know, since you know, you left us hanging with with Brahmāstra at the end. So, I'm wondering uh is is that series given? Yes, I think I am obviously the creator of that film and that Astraverse uh I think he's writing away on part two.

[00:27:13]So, hopefully when he's ready to make that film, I'm sure he'll be uh excitedly out there launching it and bringing it to the world, but uh he's deep in writing right now and I think uh soon enough, there should be something there.

[00:27:31]Well, thank you so much. It's been an honor speaking with you at length. You know, it's very rare for you need to talk to, you know, uh you know, Indian and Indian figures and you know, and and don't they did those you know, you guys are the people that I'm the most excited about because I rarely get to see you guys.

[00:27:48]You know, and and talk to you. But We keep meeting them. Yes.

[00:28:11]>> [snorts] [bell]