Ramayana is out in theatres.
Nitesh Tiwari directed the epic adaptation.
Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi lead the big-budget spectacle.
Ramayana has been raking in great reactions, but for Ranbir Kapoor, the most meaningful praise came from father-in-law Mahesh Bhatt. The veteran filmmaker revealed he was moved to tears by Ranbir's performance as Lord Rama, particularly during the emotional exile scene.
Mahesh Bhatt insisted, "Nitesh Tiwari reins in all that power; it could so easily have become too much. I was still under its spell when Ranbir entered, and the film did not immediately rise for me with his arrival. Then he walked towards the camera and folded his hands."
He said to Variety India, " I saw him touch something in himself that his other films had never asked him to. I felt he had touched the God in him. As the family gathered around Rama, the epic came close. Arun Govil was heartbreakingly total."
He confessed, "I tried hard not to cry. I had gone [to watch the film] with young filmmakers and writers, and people in the hall knew they were sitting with Ranbir Kapoor's father-in-law. When the lights came on, I tried to hide my tears. I couldn't. Nor could I say much. Great experiences make you silent." Bhatt also called Yash "mesmerising" and that Sai Pallavi's Sita brought "much relief."
Mahesh Bhatt's Ramayana Memories
In the conversation, he was also asked about his earliest memories of the ‘Ramayana’. He shared, “Before I saw Rama on a screen, I knew him through my mother’s voice. She told my brother, my sisters and me about the “Ramayana.” I was a child. I did not understand all of it, but it entered my consciousness. At 12, I saw “Sampoorna Ramayana,” produced by Homi Wadia and directed by Babubhai Mistry, that wizard of bygone days. I wept when Sita pleaded with Mother Earth to take her back into her womb. She had been banished from Ayodhya after the Agni Pariksha. She had given birth to Luv and Kush and lived alone. I felt the cruelty of it then. I still do.”
Ramayana Cast, Release
Propelled by director Nitesh Tiwari, the epic production is a joint venture between Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. The film anchors its narrative on a power-packed trio. Ranbir Kapoor steps into the role of the righteous Prince Rama, Sai Pallavi portraying Sita, and charismatic Kannada icon Yash taking on the antagonist Ravana for his Hindi cinema debut. Tiwari co-wrote the adaptation with Shridhar Raghavan.
Rounding out the ambitious cinematic effort is the supporting cast that includes Sunny Deol, Ravie Dubey, Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan, and Lara Dutta. Ramayana: Part One towers as one of the most extensive Indian theatrical releases of the year. The multi-lingual blockbuster hit theatres on November 5, across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam markets. The two-part saga is touted as one of India's most expensive productions ever.
