- Nitish Bharadwaj urged Ranbir Kapoor to avoid roles like Animal after playing Lord Rama
- Dipika Chikhalia defended Ranbir's diverse casting, praising his range as an actor
- Ramayana film has a budget of Rs 4,000 crore, making it one of the largest Indian productions
Hours after Nitish Bharadwaj asked Ranbir Kapoor not to take up films like Animal after playing Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, OG Sita Dipika Chikhalia defended his casting, saying an actor can play diverse roles.
The conversation gained traction on social media after a large section of the internet opposed Ranbir Kapoor's casting as Lord Rama following the trailer's release yesterday.
"We are actors. We haven't come from above. As actors, we get the opportunity to play different kinds of characters, and that's the biggest thing," Dipika told Hindi Rush.
She added, "If someone can do Barfi!, they can do Animal. And if they can do Animal, they can also play Ram. Just imagine how fortunate he is to get such a wide variety of roles. He is very lucky, and it's wonderful that he is doing it."
Meanwhile, Nitish Bharadwaj, known for playing Lord Krishna in B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat, urged Ranbir to take the social responsibility of preserving India's heritage.
"RK, always loved you as an actor but now start your social responsibility to uphold Bharat's heritage, values, culture & ethos. So no more Animal even if the goldmine is offered to you. Plz do not pollute your Vaani anymore. Bharat has enough stories to satiate your acting prowess," he wrote.
Praising Nitesh Tiwari's vision, Nitish added, "My views on Ramayan trailer - 100% Oscar for Best Foreign Film. Namit Badhaee. Nitesh Tiwari is Bharat's next gift to world cinema after Satyajit Ray & Shekhar Kapoor. Tens of awards for production design & DOP. Wonderful period creation using VFX & AI. Thanks to a great music maestro, Hans Zimmer, for collaborating with Indian cinema. Ranbir now at par with Ranvir as the next two unbeatable dhurandhars. Yash — welcome to global cinema."
Dipika Chikhalia on Sai Pallavi's casting
A few days ago, Dipika expressed concern over Sai Pallavi's casting as Sita in the film.
"I have seen her work. She's a phenomenal actor. But I don't know how she'll look like Sita. Once we see her, we'll know. At the moment, I have no clue. The description of Sita in Tulsidas' Ramayan was that of a woman with almond eyes, a certain height, hair and skin. That's what Ramanand Sagar was looking for, and he saw it in me. I know all of them are good actors. If they fit the bill, then it's good. Sitaji with curly hair is not mentioned in Ramayan," she told Variety India.
However, in a recent conversation, she avoided making any negative comments about Sai Pallavi's casting.
"I have seen Sai Pallavi's South Indian films, and in my opinion, she is a very, very good actor. She is playing Sita, and I don't want to say anything negative about it. Why should I speak negatively about someone's project? We'll see the film once it releases, but I know she is a good actor and she will do very, very well. It's very important to be a good actor to fit into a role. I don't believe in criticising someone else's project," she said.
About Ramayana
Ramayana has been made on a staggering budget of Rs 4,000 crore.
Speaking to Prakhar Gupta, producer Namit Malhotra revealed, "When we set out to make this six or seven years ago, people thought I was a lunatic because no Indian film comes close to this scale. Put simply, the budget will be around $500 million for both parts combined, which is over Rs 4,000 crore."
He added, "We're making the largest film in the world for the greatest epic that deserves to be seen globally. And yet, I believe we're doing it more efficiently than some of the biggest Hollywood films. We're not being irresponsible-we're being ambitious, but grounded."
AR Rahman and Oscar-winning Hans Zimmer have collaborated on this project for the first time.
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.
Also Read | Ranbir Kapoor Plays Double Role As Parashurama In Ramayana, Internet Says, 'This Scene Will Eat'
