'Ramayana': Why was Ranbir Kapoor 'filled with fear' playing Rama?
What's the story
Ranbir Kapoor, who stars as Lord Rama in the recently released film Ramayana: Part One, has opened up about the difficulties of portraying such a revered character. In an interview with BBC Asian Network, he revealed that there was little room for creative freedom. "You have to drown out those inner voices of fear," he said about the pressure of pleasing different communities.
Self-doubt
'I was also very aware of the kind of reactions...'
Kapoor admitted that he was filled with self-doubt when he first took on the role.
"I was filled with fear...I wondered whether I was too old for the role and whether I would be able to do justice to it."
He added, "I had so many insecurities and questions about myself."
"But the opportunity was right in front of me...and I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"I was also very aware of the kind of reactions it would invite."
Performance strategy
'The text has been written thousands of years ago...'
Kapoor also spoke about how playing mythological characters is different from contemporary roles.
"If I'm playing a character like in Animal or Brahmastra, there's a certain amount of creative freedom."
"But here, the text has been written thousands of years ago, so you try to stick to it."
He added, "You have to make them believable as human beings. Give them vulnerability and real emotions."
Co-star's perspective
'I felt the responsibility was on God to teach me...'
Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita in the film, said, "I have had a spiritual upbringing, and every time I do a film, I learn something from it."
"With Ramayana, I felt the responsibility was on God to teach me something much bigger than what I had learnt so far."
"I didn't want to be Sai Pallavi trying to make her best out of this and trying to perform a certain way," she said.
Film details
Everything to know about 'Ramayana'
Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana: Part One is a two-part adaptation of the ancient Indian epic.
The film also stars Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.
It was shot for IMAX, and the first film premiered worldwide on Thursday, November 5.
The second part will come out in 2028.