- Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama in the upcoming film Ramayana
- Ranbir prioritized understanding Lord Rama's philosophy over physical change
- Ranbir practiced yoga for two years and met scholars for role preparation
Ranbir Kapoor fans have been eagerly waiting to see the actor step into the role of Lord Rama in Ramayana. Ahead of the release, the actor attended a special panel for the film at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday. He was joined by co-star Yash, who portrays Ravana, director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra.
On the sidelines of the event, Ranbir spoke to Fanversation about the preparation that went into playing one of Indian mythology's most revered characters. When asked about his physical transformation for the role, the actor revealed that understanding Lord Rama's philosophy mattered far more to him than building a particular physique.
He said, “I always feel that kind of preparation, making a body or action and dance, is kind of easy because that is a bit superficial. But to really understand the philosophy of Lord Rama deeply at this age and this point in my life was really important to embody this character. You want to give it your best and be simple and not complicated. You want to be someone with whom someone aged 80 can relate. Understanding the teachings of Lord Rama was more important than the superficial transformation.”
Ranbir elaborated on the process of understanding Lord Rama's mindset and the extensive preparation he underwent before stepping in front of the camera.
He added, “I read a lot, met with a lot of scholars. I practiced yoga for two years. I had a guru called Suvir who used to sit and meditate with me for hours to get me really close to the teachings of Lord Rama. It's really understanding the text because we have that. There are so many versions and iterations.”
Ramayana has a star-studded cast. The film features Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshmana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha. Kunal Kapoor, Arun Govil, Lara Dutta and Vivek Oberoi also play pivotal roles in the ambitious mythological epic.
Planned as a two-part film series, Ramayana Part 1 is slated to release during Diwali 2026, while the second part is scheduled to hit theatres on Diwali 2027.