Shaktimaan actor Mukesh Khanna has questioned Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming film Ramayana, expressing doubt about the Kapoor scion’s ability to pull off the ‘Maryada Puroshottam’ image of the Hindu deity.
In a recent interview, Khanna said that while Ranbir Kapoor is a good fit for the role, he still has to overcome the lingering impact of his last blockbuster, Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s 2023 controversial family crime drama, Animal.
“They’re showing Rama is climbing trees and shooting arrows. Krishna or Arjuna can do that, but Rama won’t do it. If Rama proclaimed himself as a warrior, he would never ask monkeys to help him. He was enough, one man against Ravana,” Khanna commented in the interview.
“From what I can see, I don’t know if Ranbir Kapoor can pull off the Maryada Purshottam image of Rama. He’s a good actor, but he has an image chasing him, and that’s Animal. I don’t have an objection with it. He could do it,” Khanna told Galatta Plus.
While Ranbir stars as Lord Rama in the upcoming film, Sai Pallavi is set to feature as Sita while Yash takes on the role of Ravana. Sunny Deol will play Lord Hanuman while Ravi Dubey plays Lakshman.
Oscar-winning music composer Hans Zimmer makes his Bollywood debut with Ramayana. He will be composing the score along with A.R. Rahman.
The film will hit screens in two parts, with the first instalment releasing during Diwali 2026, with the second part slated for a release during Diwali in 2027.