Long before the upcoming Ramayana, mounted by Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra, began taking shape, another ambitious adaptation of the epic was quietly being planned in Bollywood.
Nearly two decades ago, veteran filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi had reportedly envisioned his own grand retelling of the Ramayana, complete with a star-studded cast and a then-unprecedented budget.
© Prime Focus Studios
According to a report published in the 2006 edition of lifestyle and entertainment magazine Circa, Santoshi was developing the mythological spectacle in collaboration with K Sera Sera. At a time when ₹100 crore productions were considered extraordinarily ambitious, the project was reportedly being mounted on a budget of ₹100 crore, making it one of the most expensive Indian films ever planned during that period.
What made the proposed film even more intriguing was its casting. The report suggested that the makers were eyeing some of Bollywood's biggest young stars for key roles. The article stated, "Rajkumar Santoshi's current dream project is Ramayana with K Sera Sera who are trying to assemble the star cast. Sources say they're thinking of asking Hrithik Roshan to play Ram and Ranbir Kapoor to play Laxman."
© X/Rahul R
At the time, Hrithik Roshan was already among the industry's leading stars, while Ranbir Kapoor was yet to make his acting debut. The possibility of seeing the two actors portray Ram and Lakshman generated considerable curiosity.
The scale of the project was equally staggering. The same report noted, "Pre-production is slated to take eight months, and the project is expected to cost ₹100 crore. That's Raj Santoshi for you, announcing movies at a frenetic pace. Phew!"
Despite the excitement surrounding the announcement, the film never progressed beyond the planning stages. Interestingly, there has never been a clear public explanation for why the project was shelved.
© Prime Focus Studios
Over the years, it quietly disappeared from industry discussions, becoming one of Bollywood's many ambitious unrealised ventures. Today, as a new generation prepares to witness another cinematic version of the epic, Santoshi's forgotten Ramayana remains a fascinating 'what if' from Hindi cinema history.