Ramayana: Ranbir Kapoor Admits His 'First Instinct Was Fear' When He Was Offered To Play Lord Ram; Here's Why

The makers of Ramayana are leaving no stone unturned to make it a huge success. The promotional events have kicked off, with the cast travelling across major cities. Recently, there was a high-profile pre-release Telugu event in Hyderabad with Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi in attendance.

Ramayana cast Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Ravie Dubey appeared on Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18 to promote their upcoming film. On the show, Amitabh Bachchan asked them their first instinct when they were approached to play Lord Ram, Sita Maa and Lakshman. Ranbir said his first instinct was "fear".

Ranbir Kapoor on playing Lord Ram

In a promo clip of KBC, speaking about his role, Ranbir said when he was offered the role, he knew it "isn't just a role" but a "big responsibility".

"My first instinct was fear, that if I am qualified enough to play this role? Whether I will be able to do this role? The faith of crores of people is linked to Lord Shri Ram. But very soon this fear turned into gratitude."

He felt gratitude that he got this opportunity when he became a father. He believes that Ramayana is a "God's gift" that gave him an opportunity to become a better human and to "understand Ramayana deeply and to get the opportunity to work with these beautiful people".

"It not impossible to become like Lord Ram but to learn something from him is a big deal for all of us," he added.

Sai Pallavi on playing Sita Maa

On her role, Sai Pallavi said, "I didn’t want to use my head this time. Every time when I play a character, I think what can I give to that character, but this was the first time when I thought - 'What can I get for playing a role like that of Sita Maa? Like what knowledge will I gain from this?' So, I wanted to keep the process transparent. I didn’t want to think anything about it. I prayed to Sita Maa and went forward with it."

Ramayana: Part 1 release date

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana also stars Yash who plays Ravana. Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Rajul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, Arun Govil as King Dashrath, and Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, and others round out the cast.

The first part is scheduled for theatrical release on November 5, 2026. Part 2 of the epic drama will hit the screens in 2027.