'Ramayana's Faisal Malik took inspiration from MCU's Hulk for Kumbhakarna
What's the story
Faisal Malik, who rose to fame as Prahlad Chacha in Panchayat, is now gearing up for a new challenge in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana. He will play Kumbhakarna, Ravana's giant brother known for his immense size and six-month-long sleep. To prepare for this role, Malik took inspiration from Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo's portrayal of the Hulk. He told Variety India, "We have all seen the Hulk and how Mark Ruffalo becomes the big green guy."
Role preparation
'The challenge here is that this world is completely different...'
Malik described, "That is a reference for me when I started imagining how I would look."
"The challenge here is that this world is completely different for me. He isn't a normal human; he's massive, and he was in a deep sleep for six months."
"To keep all of that in mind and derive a final output is a tricky part," he added.
Cultural significance
'The fact that these characters and even actors are immortal'
Malik is also aware of the lasting impact of performances in stories like the Ramayana.
He pointed to Ramanand Sagar's TV adaptation, saying, "The fact that these characters and even actors are immortal in the memory of the masses."
"Arun Govil ji played Lord Ram decades ago, and people till date worship him as Lord Rama."
Role expectations
Hopes to connect with audiences beyond 'Panchayat'
Malik hopes his portrayal of Kumbhakarna will help him connect with audiences beyond his role in Panchayat.
"The challenge is that I manage to make space in people's hearts as Kumbhakarna like I did with Prahlad Chacha from Panchayat."
"That will be a huge validation," he said.
He added, "Specifically for my character, Nitesh sir was so involved, especially because it is a one-of-a-kind character."
Production insights
'It gave me a flashback of all the Hollywood BTS...'
Malik couldn't share many details about the production but said working on Ramayana has given him an idea of the scale of the project.
"The process that I have gone through for the part, and when it gave me a flashback of all the Hollywood BTS videos I have seen, I knew I was in very good hands and working on a landmark project."
Meanwhile, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor and Yash and is set to release on November 5.