- Yash chose to play Ravana in Ramayana to portray evil convincingly on screen
- Ramayana film is made on a budget of around Rs 4,000 crore, making it the largest Indian film
- The film is planned for two parts releasing in October 2026 and Diwali 2027 respectively
Kannada superstar Yash is all over the news for his two grand films, Ramayana and Toxic. During a recent conversation with Rajat Sharma on Aap Ki Adalat, Yash explained why he chose to play Ravana and not Lord Rama in the film. The question is relevant because he is one of the co-producers and had the liberty to choose a character.
The conversation
Rajat Sharma asked Yash why he chose to play Ravana despite being a co-producer of the film.
"Ram ka bhalai dikhane ke liye Ravan ka burai bhi toh chahiye," Yash replied. (If we want to show the goodness of Rama, Ravana must personify the evil.)
Showing conviction in his calibre, Yash said, "Mujhse achcha burai koi dikha nahin sakta." (No one can portray evil better than I can.)
"Have you taken on the onus of being the bad guy on screen?" Rajat Sharma quipped.
"Jab main achha character bhi karunga na, mujhse achcha koi bhi nahin hoga," Yash said. (When I play a good character, no one can match me.)
"Ravan ko dekhkar lagna chahiye — 'isko kaise maara jaaye?'" Yash added. "We all have kept our egos aside. It's not about my stardom or me as a star in Ramayana. The best people are working on this project."
Why Ramayana will work: Yash's version
Yash said everyone has their own imagination about the Ramayana. "When I used to hear it from my grandfather, I had my own imagination. Later, when we watched it on television and in films, our imagination was reshaped," he said.
Rajat Sharma pointed out that films on the Ramayana didn't work in the past because everybody knows the story.
"Ramayana is a part of our cultural memory. We have to keep the entertainment value. At the same time, we can't hurt religious sentiments. It's a difficult task, but we have to do it. The best people are working on this project. My friend Namit Malhotra has been risking his money. Let him do it, sir. He's doing it for the country. People will watch it and bless him," Yash said.
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."
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.
Apart from Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey and Yash play pivotal roles in the film.