I have many expectations from Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, especially because he directed my favorite film, Dangal.
The casting of Sai Pallavi as Sita is the most attractive aspect for me. Though I have mixed feelings about Ranbir Kapoor playing Lord Rama, the choice of Yash as Ravana is definitely interesting. That said, casting alone doesn’t define a film.
What truly adds value to a project like Ramayana is the stance taken during its making.
In the glimpse released today, Shiva is described as the destroyer and Vishnu as the protector. Then, the Ramayana is introduced as the story of Rama versus Ravana.
The color given to Vishnu is blue and Shiva is red. And in a moment the color given top Rama's image is blue and Ravana's image is red.
This creates a misleading impression that Rama, as an incarnation of Vishnu, is pitted against Ravana, who is mistakenly implied to represent Shiva. Although this might not be the makers’ intention, the message can easily be misinterpreted that way.
Ravana is a devotee of Shiva, but in no way a representation of him. This misrepresentation in the glimpse left me disappointed.
Additionally, there's a line mentioning "5,000 years of worship by 2.5 billion people." What is this count based on? How did they arrive at these numbers? This doesn’t align with historical or mythological interpretations.
It’s a letdown to see such poor research from filmmakers working on such a prestigious and large-scale project.
Some people are also debating the skin color given to Ranbir Kapoor in the teaser, with many expecting it to be blue. Personally, I think that's not a big issue.
Even Arun Govil wasn’t painted blue in Ramanand Sagar’s TV Ramayan, and Prabhas appeared normal in Adipurush. The color isn’t the real concern—the interpretation is.
If the characters of Rama and Sita aren’t elevated to match their image as the “ideal couple,” the film could face backlash. Similarly, if Ravana is unnecessarily glorified just to match Yash’s star image, it could backfire. We need to see what kind of care is being taken in this regard.
All said and done, it’s needless to say that this film is likely to break records with its opening collections — because the Lord Rama aspect holds deep emotional and cultural significance in India.
Even for the film Adipurush, a seat was dedicated to Hanuman in almost every theatre. With such mass frenzy and devotion for Lord Rama, the film is bound to attract a huge audience.
However, if the content doesn't truly touch the heart and fail to evoke a devotional fervor, the purpose would be wasted.
On the other hand, if the film succeeds in doing that, it could break all previous records and create new history at the box office. I hope the makers focus on this crucial aspect.
Shyam Kumar Ogirala, TX