Ramayana: Actors Playing Ravana's Family Members Revealed, Including Yash as Ravana

The first trailer for the film 'Ramayana' was recently released, causing a great stir on the internet. Many famous figures from the industry participate in this movie, including actress Shobna, who will play the role of Ravana's mother, Kaikasi.

Next is a description of Kaikasi, whose descendant gave birth to the ten-headed Ravana.

According to the Uttara Kanda of the 'Ramayana', Kaikasi was Ravana's mother, and she was also called Nikasha. Ravana's mother, Kaikasi, was the daughter of the mighty demon Sumali and his wife Ketumati, who ruled in Patala Loka. When King Sumali saw that Kubera, the son of Rishi Vishrava, governed the wealth and harvest of Lanka, he sent his daughter Kaikasi to Rishi Vishrava with a request to obtain what he desired.

When Kaikasi arrived at the ashram, Rishi Vishrava was performing a ritual at dusk, which was considered an inauspicious time. Kaikasi humbly approached him and informed him of her father's wish. Rishi Vishrava warned her that since she sought offspring at such a terrible and difficult time, her children would be cruel and terrifying demons.

Hearing this, Kaikasi became distressed and fell at his feet, pleading: 'O, Brahmin! I did not expect such wicked and unjust sons. Please have mercy on me.' After Kaikasi's prayer, the sage told her that her youngest son would be as virtuous and devoted as he himself.

As a result, a fearsome boy with ten heads and twenty arms was born, whose forehead shone like a black cloud. Immediately after his birth, ominous signs appeared. Father Vishrava named him Dashagrava (Ravana) because of his ten heads. Then, a giant Kumbhakarna was born, who was extremely cruel, huge, and powerful. After that, a frightening girl named Surpanaka was born. Finally, a gentle boy, Vibhishana, was born, whose birth was accompanied by a rain of flowers from the sky. After this, Kaikasi sent her eldest son, Dashagrava, i.e., Ravana, along with his brothers to the region of Gokarna for asceticism, having seen the splendor of Kubera.

According to the Uttara Kanda, after receiving inspiration and guidance from Kaikasi, Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Vibhishana went to the Gokarna ashram. There they began severe asceticism to appease Brahma. It is said that Ravana fasted for ten thousand years. Every thousand-year period, he cut off one head and offered it to the fire. When he was about to cut off the tenth head, Brahma appeared, and all his severed heads were restored. After this, Ravana asked Brahma for the boon of immortality. When Brahma refused, he asked for a boon according to which he could not be killed by gods, demons, yakshas, gandharvas, or nagas. Brahma granted him this boon.

After receiving this boon, Ravana's pride and power increased to the extreme. At the insistence of his uncle Sumali and to fulfill Kaikasi's wish, he sent a messenger to Kubera and demanded that he leave Lanka. When Kubera consulted his father, Rishi Vishrava, the sage advised Kubera not to enter into war with Ravana and instead to settle in the city of Alkapuri near Mount Kailash, leaving Lanka. Kubera obeyed his father's order and peacefully left Lanka.

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.