- Ranbir Kapoor's look as Lord Rama in Ramayana was unveiled, linking to his great-grandfather's legacy
- Prithviraj Kapoor played Lord Ram in the 1934 Bengali film Seeta, the first Indian talkie at Venice Fest
- Ramayana teaser shows Ranbir as Rama with Yash appearing briefly as Ravan at the end
Ranbir Kapoor's much-awaited look from Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana was unveiled yesterday in India, setting the Internet abuzz with retrospective snippets. Ranbir seems to carry forward a 90-year-old legacy of playing Lord Ram on screen, started by his great-grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor, who portrayed Lord Ram in the 1934 Bengali film Seeta.
About Seeta
Seeta was a 1933 Indian talkie Bengali film directed by Debaki Bose and produced by the East India Film Company.
The film starred Gul Hamid, Prithviraj Kapoor as Ram, Durga Khote as Sita, and Trilok Kapoor as Lava.
It had a legacy of going beyond India and setting a trend.
It won an honorary diploma at the 2nd Venice International Film Festival in 1934, becoming the first Indian talkie shown at an international film festival.
Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana Teaser
The teaser introduces audiences to the first of many glimpses of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama. From the coronation to the exile in the forest of Panchavati, Ranbir steps into the mythical character with poise, elegance, calmness, and celestial glory.
Don't miss the fleeting glimpse of Yash as Ravan at the end of the teaser.
Sharing the film's teaser, producer Namit Malhotra wrote: "Rama is the greatest of all time because he lived a life where the choices he made were always in the benefit of the greater good—duty over desire, and sacrifice over self.
"His legacy continues to enhance and empower humanity over time and bring the belief in the goodness of the human spirit to resolve all conflict and bring peace to the world."
Ranbir First Said 'No'—Then 'Yes'
Speaking at a Q&A during the New York special IMAX teaser screening, Ranbir said he initially thought he was not 'perfect' for the role.
"Coming to play Lord Ram, I remember when Namit offered me this part around four years back. My instant reaction was: 'I am not fit enough, good enough.' I felt I wouldn't be able to do full justice. But that fear quickly turned into gratitude because opportunities like this were something I truly needed in my life," he said.
He added that playing Ram coincided with a deeply transformative phase in his personal life.
"There was a period when I needed to change my lifestyle. I had just become a father for the first time. The sweet coincidence of playing Lord Ram and becoming a father became a turning point in my life," he said.
Ranbir Kapoor and his wife Alia Bhatt welcomed their first child, daughter Raha, in November 2022.
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."
A.R. Rahman and Oscar-winning Hans Zimmer have collaborated on this project for the first time.
Sai Pallavi, Ravi Dubey, Yash, and Sunny Deol are also part of this mega project.
Also Read | Ranbir Kapoor Said 'No' To Ramayana First. Then Raha Was Born And Everything Changed
