Mumbai: The trailer of ‘Ramayana’ has received widespread praise from audiences, but not everyone is convinced by its casting choices.
Ramanand Sagar’s grandson recently shared his review of the upcoming epic, applauding its scale and visuals while expressing reservations about Ranbir Kapoor playing Lord Ram.
Referring to the actor’s recent role in ‘Animal’, he said Ranbir still carries the baggage of the film, which could influence how audiences perceive the mythological character.
In a video shared by Tooth Mountain Farms that has since gone viral on social media, Shiv shared his candid thoughts, saying, “I saw the trailer, and of course, the trailer was much better than the promo because the teaser that they had put out before had very little information. In the trailer, we could see more of the characters and more of the VFX, and also they revealed Ravan, which is played by Yash.”
Appreciating Yash and Sai Pallavi’s casting as Ravana and Sita, he said, “Overall, I really like the casting of Yash as Ravan and Sai Pallavi as Sita because they are from South, and these actors from South, they really understand our mythology, and these are stories told to them from a very young age by their grandparents. So they really know the mannerisms, and they know these characters very well, and I think that is why Yash and Sai Pallavi were really able to incorporate these characters into their acting, but I did not care much for the other actors.”
Questioning Ranbir’s casting as Lord Ram, he said, “Because typically, what we do is, we cast a fresh face for a character like Ram because Ranbir has a lot of baggage with him, especially after Animal. I really don’t know if he will be accepted as Ram, but the VFX was very good. Nitish Tiwari ji has conceptualised the thing very beautifully.”
Shiv also praised several creative elements showcased in the trailer, including the depiction of Ravana’s Pushpak Vimana and Surpanakha’s arrival on a lion-drawn chariot.
He further expressed hope that the film becomes a success, saying it has the potential to inspire younger audiences to develop a deeper interest in Indian mythology.
Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, the film also features Sunny Deol, Ravie Dubey, Rakul Preet Singh among others.
‘Ramayana: Part 1’ is set to hit theatres during Diwali 2026, while Part 2 is scheduled for release in 2027.