Lara Dutta is standing by Sai Pallavi's bold take on Sita in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, which dropped on November 5.
The film has people talking about Sita's warrior side, but Dutta says it makes sense: Sita was royalty and could have been trained in combat.
She encourages viewers to see this as a creative spin that fits with how things worked back in the day.
Pallavi's Sita teaches combat on screen
In the movie, Pallavi's Sita isn't just waiting around: she teaches fighting skills and joins Ram and Lakshman in battle during exile.
Dutta, who plays Kaikeyi, puts it simply: Lara Dutta, speaking to NDTV, said Sita was also possibly very much trained in the art of warfare. She points out that women in ancient times often learned combat too.
With Ranbir Kapoor and Yash also starring, this version of Ramayana gives us a Sita who can be both caring and strong, a fresh take for today's audience.