Netflix India has reportedly decided to shelve its ambitious creature feature Ramree, starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and backed by Ajay Devgn, citing budget constraints. The project, which had been in development for over a year, aimed to establish a large-scale creature-horror film in the Indian entertainment space but has now been put on hold indefinitely.
Development and Concept
The film Ramree was conceptualized as a period-based creature feature set in 1945. The project marked the directorial debut of Neha Sharma, who has previously written films such as The Zoya Factor and Tere Bin Laden. Siddhant Chaturvedi was to headline alongside Mohit Raina, with the story intending to merge historical context with large-scale horror and visual effects, aiming to deliver a cinematic experience unprecedented for India’s horror genre.
According to sources familiar with the project, Netflix executives were enthusiastic about the creative vision and scale of the story. However, the financial implications of producing a high-budget creature feature for OTT release proved prohibitive. The project, described as ambitious and expensive due to its period setting and VFX requirements, ultimately did not align with the platform’s budgetary thresholds.
Production Challenges
Producing a creature feature of this scale entails extensive visual effects, set design, and period-accurate costumes, which significantly increases production costs. For Netflix, the stakes were high, as OTT releases must balance production investment with potential subscriber engagement and ROI. While the narrative and cinematic potential of Ramree were praised, the platform decided the financial risk outweighed the potential benefits.
A source explained, “Work on the film had been going on for over a year. Given the subject and period setting, it was an expensive project. Even though the platform heads were excited about the story, the financial risk was too high. So, they decided not to move forward with it.”
Cast and Crew
The film was set to feature a talented ensemble with Siddhant Chaturvedi, who has become one of Bollywood’s most prominent young actors following his critically acclaimed performance in Gully Boy. Siddhant was to star alongside Mohit Raina, and the film was set to mark Neha Sharma’s directorial debut. Ajay Devgn, a veteran actor and producer, was producing the project, lending significant industry weight and credibility to the venture.
Siddhant Chaturvedi’s recent projects include Dhadak 2 with Triptii Dimri, which despite a modest box office performance, found notable success on Netflix, trending internationally post-digital release. He previously gained fame in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy alongside Ranveer Singh and further appeared in Gehraiyaan with Deepika Padukone, Bunty Aur Babli 2, and Kho Gaye Hum Kahaan with Ananya Panday and Adarsh Gaurav.
Implications for Indian Horror Genre
Ramree was poised to be a landmark project in India’s horror and creature-feature niche, a genre that has historically seen limited large-scale ventures. The shelving of the project underscores the challenges of financing high-concept, VFX-heavy films for OTT platforms in India, where production budgets must be carefully balanced against potential subscriber appeal.
Despite the setback, the development of Ramree reflects an ongoing ambition within Indian cinema and digital platforms to expand into genre storytelling beyond conventional Bollywood narratives. Netflix India has increasingly invested in high-quality local content, and Ramree represented a bold experiment in genre filmmaking. While the film is now on hold, the exploration of large-scale horror projects could continue in the future, potentially with revised budgets or alternate platforms.
Conclusion
Although Ramree will not move forward at present, the project highlights both the ambition and financial constraints of producing genre-specific content in India’s OTT landscape. Siddhant Chaturvedi continues to be a rising star with international recognition, and collaborations with producers like Ajay Devgn and platforms like Netflix indicate a promising trajectory for his career. Meanwhile, Indian audiences continue to anticipate innovative content as streaming platforms explore the potential of genre films, from horror and thrillers to fantasy and action.
The shelving of Ramree also raises broader questions about the feasibility of high-budget creative experiments on streaming platforms in India and the trade-offs between artistic ambition and financial viability. While Ramree remains on hold, it exemplifies the potential for Indian filmmakers to experiment with ambitious narratives and production scale in the digital era.
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