Veteran actress Dipika Chikhlia, known for her iconic role as Sita in Ramanand Sagar's TV series Ramayan, has shared her thoughts on Arun Govil's casting as Dasharath in Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming film. Dipika admitted that she finds it difficult to relate Arun to any other character in Ramayana, as he previously portrayed the role of Lord Ram in the 1987 series.
In an interview with Etimes, Dipika Chikhlia said, "To see him in a role apart from Ram… I don't know, I mean, see — I have seen him as Ram and I've seen myself as Sita. For me to see him as Dasarath is really a little out of context.
She added, "But then I guess that's really his choice. It's very personal as to how people feel. It's very difficult to break images. I mean, if you played Ram, then you are Ram.”
Dipika Chikhlia revealed that she was not approached for any role in Nitesh Tiwari's adaptation of the epic. She said, “I was never approached. I guess they've not even bothered to speak to me about it."
Claiming that she would have rejected the role anyway, Dipika added, "Once I played Sita, I don't think I can play any other character in Ramayan. It's something I'm not sure about. If I was doing something in Mahabharat or Shiv Puran, I could still give it a thought, but not in a Ramayana film.”
Ramayana: Part I features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita. Sunny Deol plays Lord Hanuman, whereas Ravi Dubey will be seen in the role of Lakshman.
Produced by Namit Malhotra in association with Yash, Ramayana is slated for a two-part release. Part 1 will release on Diwali 2026, whereas Part 2 will hit the theatres on Diwali 2027.
