Ahead of the highly anticipated trailer for 'Ramayana' on July 24th, Deepika Chhulhiya, who played the immortal role of Sita in Ramanagan Sagar's 'Ramayana,' openly shared her opinion on the new project. She discussed Sai Pannavi's participation in the role of Sita, and also commented on Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, and Arun Govil. Furthermore, she talked about how her role as Sita became her defining characteristic but simultaneously impacted her career.
Assessment of Sai Pannavi's Participation
In an interview with Variety India, Deepika stated that she has seen Sai Pannavi's work and considers her an outstanding actress. Nevertheless, she emphasized that it is premature to judge how well she will fit the role of Sita. She recalled that Tulsidas's description of Sita from 'Ramayana' mentions her eyes, height, hair, and appearance. Ramanagan Sagar was looking for exactly such a Sita, and he saw her in her. She added that the other actors are good if they match the character.
Influence of the Old 'Ramayana'
Deepika noted that Ramanagan Sagar's 'Ramayana' still lives in people's hearts, and this will certainly be reflected in the new film. She admitted that today she is known more by the name Sita than by her own name, and this has become her identity. Although any artist wants to play different roles, no one wishes to remain forever in one character. She warned that the influence of their 'Ramayana' will be very strong on this new film. Even after her being shown in reruns on Doordarshan during the coronavirus pandemic, the new generation saw her, and it will not be easy to erase that 'Ramayana' from people's minds. According to her memory, the original 'Ramayana' never mentioned Sita having curly hair.
The Price of the Role of Sita's Popularity
Deepika explained that the immense popularity of the role of Sita turned into a problem for her. After 'Ramayana,' she stopped receiving offers, and she is still forced to ask for work. She mentioned that Ranbir Kapoor, having acted in films like 'Barfi,' 'Sanju,' and 'Animal,' is now playing Lord Rama. She noted that times have changed: previously, artists were often limited to one type of role. Now, people find it difficult to imagine her in any other role, which prompted her to move into production.
Expectations from New Actors
Regarding Yash, Deepika expressed confidence in his ability to convincingly play Ravana, although she stressed that the audience's emotional connection still belongs to Ramanagan Sagar's 'Ramayana.' She said she had seen some of Yash's work and is confident that he will look powerful in the role of Ravana. However, she believes it is very difficult to erase the old 'Ramayana' from people's memory. If this film were released 50 years from now, perhaps people would forget the old cast, but right now these memories are fresh.
Message to the Team and Project Details
Wishing luck to the entire film team, Deepika noted that all participants are extremely talented, and she is confident that audiences will want to watch this film at least once. She named the main strength of their 'Ramayana' as the fact that every actor perfectly matched their character. She also mentioned that the music by Ravindra Jain was an important reason for its success. The new project, directed by Nitish Tiwari, will be released in two parts. In it, Ranbir Kapoor will play Lord Rama, Sai Pannavi will play Mata Sita, and Yash will play Ravana. Besides them, Sani Deol (Hanuman), Ravi Dubey (Lakshman), Arun Govil (Dasharath), Lara Datta, Rakul Preet Singh, Kunal Kapoor, Shiba Chadha, and Adinath Kotare will also take part in important roles. This mega-project with a budget of around 4000 crore rupees has merged the music of Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman for the first time. 'Ramayana: Part 1' will be released in theaters in December 2026, and 'Part 2' in December 2027.
