- Ranbir Kapoor is cast as Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana film series
- Gajendra Chauhan criticized casting stars with established images in mythological roles
- Chauhan praised Ranbir Kapoor's look as Rama but withheld judgment on performance
The casting of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana has raised eyebrows, since Ranbir had already played a controversial character in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal. Gajendra Chauhan — who played Yudhishthira in B.R. Chopra's Mahabharata — shared his thoughts on Ranbir Kapoor's casting as Lord Rama. Chauhan, who rose to prominence in the role of Yudhishthira, said it's difficult to accept actors who already have an established image in mythological roles.
'Actors playing mythological characters shouldn't have an image'
Drawing a parallel with the actors who gained popularity from Ramayana and Mahabharata, Gajendra Chauhan said he became the original Yudhishthira because he had no established public image before that role.
'When you are playing a mythological character, you can't have an image. If you look at the actors who played roles in Ramayana and Mahabharata back in the day, they had bodies of work, but they were not very popular. In this Ramayana, stars are playing mythological characters. It's very difficult to accept stars in these roles because they already have an established image,' Gajendra Chauhan told Hindi Rush.
Gajendra Chauhan also took a dig at the idea of a star‑studded Mahabharata with Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan.
'There was a time when Amitabh Bachchan would play Bhishma, Hrithik Roshan Karna and Aamir Khan Krishna, but that Mahabharata didn't take off,' Gajendra Chauhan recalled.
'If you are playing a pious character like this, you can't have an image; you can't be too exposed in public. Before Yudhishthira, who knew Gajendra Chauhan? Although I had worked in 25 serials, I didn't get fame,' Chauhan said.
Praising Ranbir Kapoor's look in Ramayana, he added: 'He's looking good. In our imagination, Rama looks a certain way. He looks like that. Until the film releases in theatres, I can't comment on his performance.'
Ramayana Trailer
The first scene introduces Ravana, his face hidden beneath a shawl. Blending Nitesh Tiwari's imagination with the ancient epic, this portrayal of Ravana looks grand, majestic, and refreshingly unconventional. When Ravana declares his rule over the tri-lok (heaven, earth, and hell), Rama is born to save humankind from his atrocities.
Interestingly, the teaser that introduced Lord Rama included shadowy glimpses of Sita (Sai Pallavi) and Yash as Ravana. The trailer introduces almost every important character: Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha, and Vivek Oberoi as Vidyutjihva (demon prince and Shurpanakha's husband). The only major absence is Sunny Deol, who plays Hanuman in the magnum opus.
The trailer promises a visual extravaganza and high spectacle driven by CGI and VFX. This decades-old story will be retold with a new generation of actors stepping into mythic roles. The original Rama of the Indian television, Arun Govil, appears in the film as King Dasharatha, Rama's father.
The film is set to be released in two parts, with the first instalment scheduled to release worldwide in October 2026 ahead of Diwali, while the second part is slated for Diwali 2027.
Apart from Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey and Yash play pivotal roles in the film.