Meet Namit Malhotra, Producer Of Ranbir's 'Ramayana', CEO Of Company Which Won 8 Oscars For VFX

The first look of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana was recently launched and has already gone viral, featuring glimpses of Ranbir Kapoor as 'Lord Ram' and Yash as 'Ravan'. Meanwhile, the teaser also mentioned that Sai Pallavi will be playing the role of 'Goddess Sita' and Ravi Dubey will be seen as 'Lakshman'. 

However, many people are still unaware of the man who first gave the idea of this adaptation of the Hindu epic, Ramayana. That man is none other than Namit Malhotra, the producer of the upcoming film. Interestingly, as fans gush with praise for Ramayana's first look and its phenomenal VFX, Namit's company, DNEG, has won eight Oscars for Best Visual Effects. Here's everything you need to know about his life and how he started the company. 

Namit Malhotra comes from a family of filmmakers 

Namit Malhotra was born in Mumbai, India, on April 2, 1976. His father, Naresh Malhotra, was a film producer who worked primarily in Bollywood. One of his most notable films is the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Shahenshah. Apart from his father, Namit's grandfather was also a well-known cinematographer who worked in the emerging Hindi film industry of the '40s and '50s. His grandfather's notable works are Jhansi Ki Rani, one of the first coloured films of India and Naya Daur, starring Dilip Kumar. Hence, as a child, Namit had grown up seeing the behind-the-scenes of what goes into filmmaking. 

Namit Malhotra started his first business from a garage

Namit pursued an education in computer graphics and learnt how entire films can be created and edited on computers. Then he co-founded his company, Video Workshop, with the help of three teachers from his college. The company was based out of his father's garage. However, despite the small beginnings, Namit's Video Workshop went on to work on shows like Boogie Woogie, Gatha and more. His company also made advertisements and music videos. Later, Video Workshop also controlled the post-production facility of Channel V. 

Namit Malhotra merged his company with his father's 

Namit's father owned the company Video Works, which provided film equipment for rent. Both father and son merged their businesses and created Prime Focus. With this new company, they provided visual effects and sound services. Namit also expanded the company to a global level with the launch of Prime Focus World. With this, the company also gained access to visual effects and other post-production facilities in Vancouver, London, LA and New York. 

Namit Malhotra merged his company with an award-winning VFX studio 

Double Negative, a UK based VFX studio had won two Oscars for Best Visual Effects for the film, Inception and Interstellar. Then in 2014, Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus merged with Double Negative and won 6 more Oscars with some of the most visually captivating movies. Some of the films for which they won 6 more Oscars in Best Visual Effects were, Blade Runner 2049, Tenet, Dune franchise among others. Apart from being CEO of DNEG, Namit Malhotra is also a film producer. And he produces these films through the parent company of DNEG, Prime Focus Ltd. 

Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus has also produced the Ranbir Kapoor and Yash starrer Ramayana. However, this isn't the first film that the producer has done with Ranbir. Both of them had worked together in Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva as well. Prime Focus produced the film in conjunction with Dharma and two more producers. Meanwhile, the Oscar-winning DNEG of Namit provided the much-talked-about VFX for the Ranbir and Alia-starrer film. 

Namit Malhotra had ideated the adaptation of Ramayana a decade ago

In an interview with Hindustan Times in March 2025, Namit Malhotra revealed that he had outlined an idea for a movie adaptation of the epic, Ramayana back in 2015. However, after ideating for so long, the film was finally shot starting from 2023. As the first glimpse of Ramayana was released July 3, 2025, reports suggest that the first part of the film has been wrapped up. 

Namit said that he wanted to celebrate Indian storytelling at a global level. He stated that Hollywood films like Oppenheimer and Forrest Gump were universal films and enjoyed by Indian viewers too. Similarly, he believes that the mythology of the Ramayana is universal too. Namit said that he was fortunate to receive this opportunity and hoped to deliver to the audience on the promises. The producer said:

"I'm keen to not just make India proud but excite the world about Indian storytelling and really celebrate global cinema together. It's not like we don't like Hollywood films. It's not like we don't see an Oppenheimer and have a great feeling, or a Forest Gump, or any of these, you know, landmark films. Their stories are universal. I believe this is universal, too. This is that opportunity that I believe I'm pretty fortunate to have received in my life, and I hope I can deliver."

More about the upcoming film, Ramayana 

Ramayana will be released in two parts, with part one hitting cinema theatres on Diwali 2026, reportedly. A year later part two will be released in 2027. After the first glimpse of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana was released on July 3, 2025, people heaped praises on the background score composed by ace Indian music director, A.R. Rahman and two-time Oscar-winning composer, Hans Zimmer. The VFX, special effects and the looks of the characters were also highly appreciated by fans.

As per the star cast, the title card showcased that Ranbir Kapoor will be playing the role of 'Lord Ram', Yash will be seen as the antagonist, 'Ravan', Sai Pallavi as 'Goddess Sita' and Ravi Dubey as 'Laxman'. Sunny Deol will also essay the role of 'Lord Hanuman', however, no glimpse of him in this avatar has been revealed yet. The film is directed by Nitesh Tiwari of Dangal fame. Interestingly, the title card does not mention the producer's name, but the poster does say 'Namit Malhotra's Ramayana'. 

What are your thoughts on Namit Malhotra, producer of Ramayana's journey from starting his business in a garage to establishing a business empire? 

Also Read: Ranbir's 'Ramayana' V/s Prabhas' 'Adipurush', Netizens Compare And Say, 'This Is How Its Done..'

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