Varun Grover questions the entitlement of actors from Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan.
Dipika Chikhlia earlier expressed doubts about Sai Pallavi playing Sita.
Sunil Lahri criticised scenes he felt lacked devotional sentiment in Ramayana.
Lyricist and writer Varun Grover has criticised actors from Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan for their comments on Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. Former co-stars Dipika Chikhlia and Sunil Lahri, who played Sita and Lakshman respectively in the 1987 television series, have expressed reservations about the film’s casting and creative choices. Their remarks have drawn attention as the new adaptation continues to generate discussion.
Taking to X on November 12, Grover questioned the attitude with which the actors had commented on the film. He wrote, “Actors from Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana commenting on the new film with the entitlement as if they are actual avatars.”
What Varun Grover said about Ramayan actors
Grover’s post came after Chikhlia and Lahri shared their opinions on the film, including their views on Ranbir Kapoor playing Lord Rama and Sai Pallavi portraying Sita. Chikhlia had earlier spoken about Pallavi’s casting in an interview with Variety India, saying she was unsure how the actor would look in the role.
“I have seen her work. She’s a phenomenal actor. But I don’t know how she’ll look like Sita. Once we see her, we’ll know. Sitaji with curly hair is not mentioned in Ramayan. I think our Ramayan will weigh very heavily on the Ramayana film. Our Ramayan was also watched by the new generation when it aired on Doordarshan during the pandemic. So, it’s very difficult to erase that,” Chikhlia said.
However, Chikhlia recently praised the film while speaking to paparazzi. She said, ‘See, I told you right that the film is well-made and is bound to be a hit. It has so many big stars. See how it crossed 900-1000 crore in just 4-5 days. Superb. The movie is good, and so many big stars and VFX, all of it is so beautiful.”
Sunil Lahri shares his reservations about Ramayana
Lahri, meanwhile, shared a mixed review of the film, pointing to certain dialogues and scenes that he felt lacked the devotional sentiment associated with the epic.
“I did not like the way Shurpanakha addresses Lord Ram during their conversation. The way Sita Ji addresses Lord Ram also did not feel appropriate to me. There are several other sequences that I felt were weak and lacked the devotional sentiment and divine essence that are integral to the story of the Ramayana,” he said.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana: Part 1 was released in theatres worldwide on November 5, 2026. The film has reportedly crossed the ₹1,000 crore mark.
