With the release of Nitesh Tiwari‘yes’Ramayana: In the early part of this Diwali, its makers have closed a major distribution deal for the Indian market. Co-producers Namit Malhotra’s DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations have partnered with Karan Johar‘s Dharma Productions, which will distribute the mythological epic across India. The ambitious two-parter saga is mounted on an impressive budget of Rs 4,000 crore.Karan Johar’s production house has consistently built a solid track record in handling large-scale releases in India, as seen in the case of ‘Baahubali’. The banner also received a significant financial boost after Adar Poonawalla’s Serum Institute of India acquired a 50 percent stake in the company for Rs 1,000 crore. According to a latest report by Variety India, Namit Malhotra screened a 30-minute edited cut of ‘Ramayana’ for potential distributors before finalizing the deal. Negotiations with Dharma Productions began with a distribution price of around 500 million rupees before both parties agreed on a final figure of 250 million rupees, giving Dharma sole distribution rights in India.Named “the most anticipated Indian film of this year” by IMDb, “Ramayana: Part 1” features an ensemble cast led by Ranbir Kapoor like Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The film also stars Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, Arun Govil as Dasharatha, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Vivek Oberoi as Vidyutjiva, Rakul Preet Singh as Surapanakha, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara, Indira Krishn and Kausalay. Kunal Kapoor like Indra, among others.The film’s music is being composed by Oscar winners AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer, who have collaborated for the first time on an Indian project. While the shooting of ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ has already wrapped up and the film is currently in post-production, the work on the second installment has entered the pre-production phase.Last month, commentator and trade analyst Vishek Chauhan had predicted that the two-parter ‘Ramayana’ could become the only Indian franchise capable of surpassing the worldwide box office record of over Rs 3.3 billion set earlier this year by Ranveer Singh’s Aditya Dhar spy franchise ‘Dhurandhar’.