- Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna stressed Ramayana's emotions should not be sacrificed for grandeur
- Khanna has not yet watched the Ramayana film but noted its large scale and budget
- He said Ramayana's story and devotion will succeed without relying on visual effects
Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna, known for playing Bhishma Pitamah in BR Chopra's Mahabharat, recently shared his thoughts on Ramayana, stressing that cinematic grandeur should never come at the cost of the epic's emotional and spiritual core.
Although Mukesh Khanna is yet to watch the film, he acknowledged the scale, budget, and visual effects associated with the modern adaptation. However, he emphasised that the essence of the Ramayana lies in its emotions, relationships, and devotion rather than spectacle alone.
Speaking about the film, he said in his vlog, "Kehna chahunga ki bhavya ki aad mein bhav ko mat sacrifice karo." (I would like to say that in the pursuit of grandeur, do not sacrifice emotions.)
He added, "Bahut log bol rahe hain mujhe ki, 'Sir, kya kamaal ki bhavyata dikhayi hai, itne karodon rupaye kharch kiye gaye, special effects hain.'" (Many people are telling me, 'Sir, the scale looks magnificent. So many crores have been spent and the film has impressive visual effects.')
"Itne achhe-achhe log bolte hain, 'Sir, special effects utne achhe nahi hain,' wahan par bhi vivaad chal raha hai. But theek hai, aap sochte ho ki ye Ramayan sirf special effects pe chalegi? Maaf karna!" (Many respected people are also saying that the visual effects are not that impressive, and there is a debate around that as well. But do you really think Ramayan will succeed solely because of visual effects? I'm sorry, but no.)
He then added, "Ramayan apne aap chalegi. Ramayan ki kahani hi ghar-ghar mein padhi jaati hai." (Ramayan will stand on its own. Its story is read in households across the country.)
"Meri mother padhti thi raat ko baithkar." (My mother used to sit and read it at night.)
He added, "'Ram ne kaha, he Sita, Sita, Sita...' padhna unke liye thoda mushkil hota tha, 'Ram ne kaha Sita...' Roz Ramcharitmanas ka jaap hota hai gharon mein. (Reading lengthy passages would sometimes be difficult for her, but recitations from the Ramcharitmanas take place in homes every day.)
"Uske beech mein aap agar bolo ki usko chalane ke liye mujhe foreign ke special effects wale chahiye, saab wo kariye, par uske upar mat kahiye ki aapne itna kharch kiya hai." (If you feel you need international visual-effects experts, by all means do that. But don't make the expenditure the main talking point.)
"Sir, bhavya nahi chahiye, mujhe bhav chahiye!" (Sir, I do not want grandeur, I want emotion!)
"Mujhe yahan ke bhav ko mat change kijiye, inke emotions ko mat change kijiye, inke aapas ki bhakti ko mat change kijiye." (Do not alter the emotions, the devotion or the spiritual bond that exist within this story.)
"Isme dikhaye hue parivarik rishton ko mat change kijiye, isme dikhayi hui jo ek garima hai, usko mat change kijiye." (Do not change the family relationships portrayed in the story, and do not tamper with its dignity and grace.)
Mukesh Khanna continued, "Just because you think ki aap bade-bade rakshason ko bade-bade special effects mein laoge, log bolenge, 'Are wah, kya bada.' Saab, Baahubali mat banaiye!" (Just because you can create giant demons using large-scale visual effects and impress audiences, don't turn it into Baahubali.)
"Baahubali mein aap kuch bhi kar sakte ho. Baahubali mein bhi kamaal ki fights thi. Maine toh yahan tak kaha tha ki ye Mahabharat ki fight dikhti hai."(You can take creative liberties in Baahubali. It featured spectacular action sequences. I even said some of its battles looked like those from the Mahabharata.)
He then said, "Wahan allowed hai kyunki wo Ramayan ki kahani nahi hai, ek fictitious raja ki kahani hai. Wahan kuch bhi kariye." (That is acceptable because it is not the story of Ramayana. It is the story of a fictional king, so creative freedom is expected.)
"But the moment you make Ram with Ramayan, then you cannot go into that kind of bhavya to sacrifice inko, gaur bana do aur special effects ko bada bana do." (But the moment you adapt Ram and Ramayana, you cannot let excessive grandeur overshadow the characters and elevate visual effects above the essence of the story.)
Ramayana was released in theatres on November 5, with Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana, and Sai Pallavi as Sita.
Also Read: Mukesh Khanna Cites Dhurandhar's Akshaye Khanna To Question Praise For Yash's Ravana In Ramayana