Ramayana released today, and from fans flooding the internet with reviews to actors and crew members sharing BTS videos and photos, the film has been making headlines. The two-part, Rs 4,000-crore project by Namit Malhotra has been a part of many dinner-table conversations for weeks, and now the craze is set to take over Diwali celebrations as well.
In an interview with Prabhat Khabar, art director Ramesh revealed how hundreds of sets were created for Nitesh Tiwari's directorial. After all, the scale that everyone is appreciating would not have been possible without opulent sets and intricate details.
Ramesh revealed that he joined the team of Ramayana: Rise Of A Legend in February 2024, but the actual construction of sets began in April 2024 at Prime Focus Studios in Film City, Mumbai. He further revealed that over 150 sets were constructed for the film.
"No set is ever finalised on the first attempt. It takes 10-15 different versions and variations to achieve what is ultimately seen on screen. Construction of the sets began after about three months of preparation," the art director revealed.
Ravana's Throne
One of the film's most captivating scenes is when Ravana sits on his throne. It was designed to reflect his larger-than-life presence as the demon king. But it was not a VFX creation.
The Ramayana team first created a clay model and then cast a mould. The throne was shaped using fibre. The art director told the publication that one of the most remarkable details was the gold finish, which was added using 24-carat gold leafing. He further stated that the throne took four months to build, and its construction cost approximately Rs 1 crore.
Ravana's Jewellery
An equal amount of detailing went into creating Ravana's jewellery. Speaking to NDTV, Tarang Arora, Creative Head of House of Amrapali, shared, "Lanka is believed to have been built of gold. So there was opulence. We had to show that."
He revealed that one of the most difficult pieces to create for Ravana was the chest plate.
"That entire chest plate was handcrafted by our artisans, and it took a long time to complete. We had to be very practical. We wanted to show opulence but also ensure that if the actor wore it for six hours, he wouldn't feel uncomfortable. To achieve that, we added linings underneath and made it softer rather than rigid," he shared.
He further revealed that the designers incorporated snake motifs into the jewellery to portray Ravana as a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva.
The colours used for Ravana's brass and gold-plated jewellery were darker, featuring shades of blue, black and green, along with stronger metallic tones. Tribe Amrapali crafted 13 jewellery looks for Ravana, each comprising eight to 10 pieces. In total, between 104 and 130 pieces were created for the character. The total weight of the jewellery in each look was approximately 6-7 kg.
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