Kunal Kapoor, who played Indra Dev in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, has opened up about his experience of working on the film, describing it as one of the most ambitious projects to come out of the Indian film industry. The actor said that while audiences are already familiar with the epic and its many retellings, the upcoming film will offer a different cinematic experience through its visuals, action, and music. He also addressed the criticism surrounding the film's creative choices, including its visuals and costumes, saying he prefers to focus on the work rather than pay attention to every opinion on social media.
What Kunal Kapoor Told NDTV
Speaking about what audiences can expect from Ramayana despite being familiar with the story, Kunal said the film's strength lies in presenting the epic in a new way.
Kunal Kapoor told us, "Well, look, the thing with when you're making the Ramayana is that everybody knows the story. And it's not like you can do anything to change that story because people have seen many, many retellings of the Ramayana. So, we've heard stories of it since childhood. So, it's such an integral part of us, the story, that there's nothing much that you can do with the story. But what I find very, very exciting about this particular film is how we've taken the same story, but just the experience of it is completely new. Whether the way it's been shot, whether it's the action, or whether it's the music. So you go in knowing the story, but I can assure you that the experience will be very different from anything you've experienced before."
Talking about his experience of shooting for the film, Kunal called it a privilege to be part of a project of such a scale. He also lauded producer Namit Malhotra and director Nitesh Tiwari for the passion, hard work, and resources they have invested in the film.
The Rang De Basanti star said, "It was incredible because, first of all, I think this is one of the most ambitious films that's coming out of the Indian industry. So to be part of that is a privilege. Secondly, the kind of passion, the kind of hard work, the amount of resources that Namit Sir and Nitesh Sir have put into this is just absolutely incredible to watch. So to be on a set where people are so passionate about what they're doing is really, like I said, a privilege, and it was amazing."
He added, "I've never been on a set like that because it was so quiet. It was almost meditative. Everybody that was on that set, it almost felt like everybody was trying to do something and was part of something that was really important. Yeah, it's just been a privilege to be part of not only a story that's one of the most important parts of our cultural heritage but also to work with people that are so driven and so passionate and so in love with what they want to say. I think it was really, really incredible."
Kunal also addressed the online discussions and criticism surrounding the film's visuals, costumes, and other creative choices. The actor said he does not spend much time reading reactions on social media, pointing out that while some criticism comes from people who genuinely understand cinema or care about the story, other comments are made simply to attract attention.
He said, "Honestly, I don't spend too much time going through all the criticism and stuff because we live in a world where everybody has access to social media. Some people are people that genuinely understand the craft and the art, or they're genuinely people from the audience that love the story and want to see the best of it. To get an opinion from them is fine. But then there are a lot of people that say things so that it goes viral, people that say things because they just want to say something that's interesting. So you can't really follow what everybody has to say."
"I think you just have to focus on what you have to do. And like I said, both Nitesh Sir and Namit Sir have put in so much passion and hard work into this that I don't think that there's going to be any stone that's left unturned to make sure that this is, you know, as good as it gets."
The first part of Ramayana is scheduled to be released this Diwali.
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