Toxic actor Yash gave up his Rs 100 crore fee for playing Ravana in Ramayana, reportedly in exchange for distribution rights for both parts in South India

Actor Yash has reportedly restructured his payout for Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming epic 'Ramayana', giving up an earlier expected fee of Rs 100 crore in favour of theatrical distribution rights across South India. The report, sourced from Sacnilk and cited by The Times of India, states that Yash will not receive a fixed remuneration for playing the antagonist Ravana in the two-part film.

Instead, the actor, who is also a co-producer on 'Ramayana' through his banner Monster Mind Creations, will reportedly hold South Indian distribution rights for both instalments of the film. This effectively means his final earnings from the project will now be tied to how well 'Ramayana' performs commercially in the southern markets, rather than a fixed, guaranteed sum agreed upon in advance.



A shift from the earlier reported fee

According to the Sacnilk report cited by TOI, Yash had earlier been expected to be paid close to Rs 100 crore combined for 'Ramayana: Part One' and 'Part Two'. This figure had been widely reported when the actor first signed on to play Ravana in the ambitious two-part project. The new arrangement, if accurate, replaces that fixed fee entirely with distribution rights, a structure that could work out significantly more lucrative for Yash than the original Rs 100 crore if the film performs well in the south, but could also mean a considerably smaller payout if it underperforms in that region.

Trade observers note that such distribution-linked deals are not new in the industry, but are relatively unusual for an actor of Yash's stature to accept in place of an upfront fee, especially for a project of this scale. The arrangement suggests a degree of confidence in the film's prospects among those involved, given that Yash himself is also invested in the project as a co-producer.

Comes amid Toxic's box office slide

The reported change in Yash's Ramayana deal comes shortly after the theatrical run of his previous film, 'Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups'. Directed by Geetu Mohandas, the film opened to a strong Rs 101.10 crore net collection in India on its very first day. However, its collections dropped sharply in the days that followed, and by the end of its first week, the film had earned only around Rs 229.60 crore net in India, a steep decline from its opening-day momentum. While the two developments are reportedly unrelated, the timing has drawn attention given how closely they follow one another.

About 'Ramayana'

'Ramayana' is one of the most highly anticipated Indian films in recent years, featuring an ensemble cast that includes Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Yash as Ravana. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film will release in two parts. 'Ramayana: Part One' is scheduled for a worldwide release on November 6, 2026, with its India release following on November 8. 'Ramayana: Part Two' is set to release during Diwali in 2027, giving the makers roughly a year's gap between the two instalments.

(With TOI inputs)