Ramayana: Indira Krishna Defends Sai Pallavi’s Sword-Wielding Sita In Nitesh Tiwari’s Film

Ramayana Part One, which hit the theatres on November 5, 2026, has been getting positive reactions from all across the nation. But some people have criticised Nitesh Tiwari's film, especially Sai Pallavi’s Sita fight scenes, when she holds a sword. Indira Krishna, who plays Kaushalya in the film, said she also struggled to relate to that version of the character, but said the makers wanted to show Sita as strong, not fragile.

Indira Krishna on Sita's portrayal as warrior

On Sita's portrayal as a warrior, Indira, in an interview with News18, said, "I would also go with the audience," adding that as a child, when she watched Ramayan, she never saw Sita as a warrior and she "couldn’t connect this bit" with what she had watched in the old television show.

"The makers wanted to portray that Sita isn’t weak. She belonged to a family of warriors who made sure that the girl child learned the art of wielding a sword. Through the sequence, they’ve depicted the valour of Sita, who was otherwise soft-minded," Krishna added.

Krishna said the film does not limit strength to Sita alone. She added that the makers wanted each woman in the story to have her own force, and said she played Kaushalya as steady and self-assured rather than as a mother who was always sad.

Krishna said the film also turns to Ravana’s family. It presents Kaikasi, Ravana’s mother, as a warrior, and she added that this detail caught everyone off guard.

In Ramayana Part One, we see Sai Pallavi's Sita in a forest where she takes up a sword against the demon force led by Khara and Dushana.

Ramayana, produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash, is running successfully in theatres. It has beaten Dhurandhar 2's Day 5 collection. The second part is slated to debut in cinemas in 2028.