'Ramayana': Indira Krishnan says she 'never saw Sita as warrior'
What's the story
The Nitesh Tiwari-directed Ramayana Part 1 has been a box office success, raking in over ₹400 crore in India. However, the portrayal of Maa Sita by Sai Pallavi in the movie has sparked controversy. Some viewers, including actor Mukesh Khanna, have criticized scenes where Sita wields a sword as an inaccurate representation of her character in the epic. Now, Ramayana actor Indira Krishnan has weighed in on this debate.
Actor's perspective
'No woman depicted in our film is weak'
Krishnan told News18, "I would also go with the audience. As a child, when I watched Ramayan, I never saw Sita as a warrior."
"The makers wanted to portray that Sita isn't weak. She belonged to a family of warriors where they made sure that the girl child learns the art of wielding a sword."
"In our film, every woman has her own strength. No woman depicted in our film is weak."
Actor's discontent
Mukesh Khanna slams 'Ramayana' for 'warrior' Sita
Khanna has also slammed the depiction of Sita in Ramayana.
In a YouTube vlog, he accused the makers of prioritizing profit over authenticity.
He questioned how Ravana could abduct Sita if she was indeed a warrior.
"People have objected to Sita fighting like the Rani of Jhansi...From what I know, Maa Sita never fought."
"She was never a fighter; had she been one, she would have fought with Ravana when he tried to abduct her."
Discontent
'There was only one original 'Ramayana'
Khanna expressed shock at a producer's justification for Sita's warrior role, stating it was not from Valmiki's Ramayana but another book called Adbhut Ramayana.
He questioned the legitimacy of this source.
"There was only one original Ramayana, which was written by Valmiki; whatever is written in it...you cannot go two steps ahead of it."
"Can the producer fabricate the Quran or the Bible? If not, then how dare he fabricate the Ramayana?"
Actor's training
Pallavi on preparing for warrior role
In a recent interaction with comedian Zarna Garg, Pallavi discussed her preparation for the role of a warrior princess.
She revealed that she had to practice sword fighting, and the stunt directors wanted to make it look like a dance.
"We all grew up watching a different version of Sita Maa...So to have this for this generation felt really good."
Meanwhile, the film also stars Ranbir Kapoor and Yash.