Producer Namit Malhotra, the man behind ‘Ramayana‘, has revealed that he lost 90% of his wealth back in 2008. Today, the Hurun India Rich List 2026 estimates his family’s net worth at Rs 16,000 crore. Now 50, Namit had moved to the US in 2007, hoping to build a global company that could connect the East and the West. A year later, however, the financial crisis and the ensuing recession squeezed businesses and immigrants across the country, derailing his ambitions.
Namit Malhotra hosts ‘Ramayana’ showcase in Los Angeles
Almost 20 years on, Namit is gearing up to present his ambitious two-part retelling of the Indian epic ‘Ramayana’ to global audiences. Ahead of the film’s November 5 release, the filmmaker recently held a special screening at the Academy Theater in Los Angeles. He called the evening his personal Oscar moment, looking back on a dream he had carried since his days as a 19-year-old working out of a garage.
Namit Malhotra calls it his ‘Oscar moment’
Speaking to the audience, Namit said, “I wanted to host this evening at the Academy Theater because this is my Oscar moment. I am going to take a moment to speak without the bell ringing me out. My company DNEG and my team have won eight Academy Awards in total. Seven in the last eleven years for visual effects, collaborating with the greatest filmmakers of our time like Christopher Nolan, Denny Villeneuve and many others.”He added, “For a third-generation film family background, and a garage startup kid at 19 with an Apple computer working with three of his teachers who were all of 21. This is what dreams are made of and what better place to share this moment than the city of dreams — Los Angeles.”
Namit Malhotra on moving to LA and bouncing back
Looking back on the financial blow that put his plans at risk, Namit remembered relocating to Los Angeles with the goal of building a global company that would unite filmmaking talent from India and the West. “In my pursuit of building a global company and connecting the East and the West, I set foot in LA in 2007 and haven’t looked back since. An immigrant, who lost 90% of his wealth with the fun times in 2008, as I am sure some of you may remember, to bounce back today and being able to bring the biggest independent production in the world… I can’t even tell you what it feels like to stand here today and say this. We have been able to bring together some of the absolute best talent from India, as you all have seen, and have collaborated with some of the finest Western talent,” he said.
Namit Malhotra thanks his parents and wife
Namit also expressed his gratitude to his parents, Nita and Naresh Malhotra, and his wife, who stood by his vision and supported him throughout. He pointed to his filmmaker father as the one who pushed him to step into production. “I got into post-production and visual effects to get to make movies at some point, and that is what I am doing today,” he said.
‘Ramayana’ cast, budget and release date
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, ‘Ramayana’ is a two-part screen adaptation of the Indian epic, co-produced by Yash and said to carry a total budget of Rs 4,000 crore. Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Ravi Dubey play the lead roles, supported by an ensemble that includes Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Lara Dutta and Arun Govil. The magnum opus is slated for a multilingual worldwide theatrical release on November 5.