Getting cast in the biggest film of his career, and what he describes as the biggest film India has ever seen, is something South Indian actor Harish Uthaman never imagined.
Director Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana will see him play Ravana's brother Vibhishana, a role he describes as life-changing. In this exclusive conversation with NDTV, Harish Uthaman, who is excited about shooting for Part 2, talks about working with Ranbir Kapoor and how Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana is set to dazzle audiences.
Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Ram in the mythological epic, is known for his effortless acting, with his performances consistently earning praise. Working with Ranbir for the first time was a significant experience for Harish, who shares the screen with two major stars, Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, in the film.
"I've done one scene with Ranbir so far, and I think it'll be part of the second part. We all know what a good performer Ranbir is, but experiencing it face-to-face in a scene was something else. It was wonderful to see how an actor can communicate so much through a performance and allow you to react naturally. Ranbir has a very natural flair for acting; I felt he was in his element as Ram. The way he performs improves with every take - he makes the scene better through the slightest nuances. When that energy bounces off the actor opposite him, it's easy to react," says the ARM actor.
Harish, who has often been typecast as a police officer or a villain in South Indian films, believes Ramayana could help him break away from that image.
"In 2018, I stopped taking up films in any language because I felt I was being typecast as a police officer or a villain. The roles would have different costumes, but the character arcs were essentially the same. I didn't work for an entire year, and the break helped me gather myself and learn to turn down roles that I didn't want to do. I started saying no more often, and that continues even today.
"I am happy with the roles I am doing now. Ramayana is particularly exciting because it offers me a completely different kind of character, and it is a film being made on such a huge scale. I'm looking forward to seeing how this film changes my career and how audiences perceive me.
"I am still working on overcoming typecasting, but I have made significant progress in learning to say no. If you ask me what Ramayana will do for my career, I honestly don't know. But I hope people notice me and realise that there is an actor like me out there. The visibility that comes with a film of this scale is what I am really looking forward to," Harish says, expressing hope and gratitude.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana features music by Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman and is being made on a massive budget. The film will be released in two parts. Asked whether he believes it will be an unforgettable cinematic experience for Indian audiences, Harish says, "Definitely. Everybody knows the Ramayana, but what matters is how Nitesh Tiwari has interpreted it."
He adds, "The story has been presented in different formats over the years. The challenge with a two-part film, spanning around six hours in total, is how to tell the entire story without losing its essence. I really liked how particular Nitesh was about the dialogues. There were situations where he wanted the same lines and words to be delivered differently. He paid close attention to these details.
"I am sure this will be an authentic Ramayana that retains the essence of the original story while presenting it on a grand scale. It will definitely be an experience for audiences. When people think of Vibhishana and the other characters, they may already have faces in their minds from earlier adaptations. But I believe this Ramayana will give audiences new faces for these characters, and those images will stay with them for a long time."
Ramayana: Part 1 is scheduled to release on Diwali, November 5, and stars Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi in key roles. Produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash, the two-part film is being made on a reported budget of ₹4,000 crore. The film is written by Nitesh Tiwari and Shridhar Raghavan.
ALSO READ: Ramayana Advance Booking: Ranbir Kapoor-Yash's Epic Crosses Rs 20 Crore Mark Worldwide
