Mumbai: Shiv Sagar, grandson of legendary filmmaker Ramanand Sagar, has reacted to Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming ‘Ramayana’.
In a recent interview, Shiv said he finds it difficult to accept Ranbir in the role, citing the actor’s previous performances, including his work in ‘Animal’.
“Except for that one casting, I like the rest of the casting very much. Personally, I cannot accept Ranbir Kapoor as Ram because after Animal, I cannot accept him as Ram. When I look at Ram ji, I feel that a fresh face should have been taken,” Shiv was quoted as saying by ANI.
“We have seen Ranbir in different roles; he is a very good actor. Personally, I don’t have anything against him. I think they must have taken him for the project because they want a marketing push, and maybe if they didn’t take Ranbir, the film wouldn’t have been marketed so well, so that’s also something to think about, but I personally believe that for such characters, it’s better to take a new face,” he explained.
This is not the first time Shiv has spoken about Ranbir’s casting in ‘Ramayana’.
In an earlier interview with Bollywood Hungama, he had a more positive reaction to the casting and expressed hope that audiences would embrace the actor as Lord Rama.
“I quite liked it, to be honest. In the earlier promotional asset, I felt that the quality of the graphics did not match the scale of the budget. However, after watching the trailer and seeing the ensemble cast, I am impressed. I thought Yash looked brilliant as Ravana. Sai Pallavi, too, suits the character of Sita, especially in the way she speaks and articulates herself. Overall, I think it looks very grand,” he said.
While Ranbir will headline ‘Ramayana’ as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi will portray Sita, with Yash essaying the role of Ravan.
The epic is planned as a two-part film series, with the first instalment set to release on Diwali 2026 and the second arriving on Diwali 2027.