Hours after the trailer of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana was unveiled, Dipika Chikhalia, who became synonymous with Sita after portraying the goddess in Ramanand Sagar’s iconic television series, weighed in on the film. Speaking about the much-awaited adaptation, she expressed confidence in Sai Pallavi’s portrayal of Sita and defended Ranbir Kapoor against criticism over playing Lord Ram after Animal, saying actors should be free to take on diverse roles.
Speaking to Hindi Rush, Deepika also described Ramayana as a massive cinematic undertaking and said its reported Rs 4,000 crore budget would allow the makers to bring the epic’s grand scale to life.
Deepika Chikhalia on Sai Pallavi playing Sita
Dipika Chikhalia said she has immense faith in Sai Pallavi’s acting abilities and sees no reason to criticise the casting before watching the film.
“I have seen Sai Pallavi’s South Indian films, and in my opinion, she is a very, very good actor. She is playing Sita, and I don’t want to say anything negative about it. Why should I speak negatively about someone’s project? We’ll see the film once it releases, but I know she is a good actor and she will do very, very well. It’s very important to be a good actor to fit into a role. I don’t believe in criticising someone else’s project,” she said.
This is not the first time Dipika has spoken about Sai’s casting. Earlier, in an interview with Variety India, she praised the actor’s talent but said audiences would only know whether she fit the character once the film was released.
“I have seen her work. She’s a phenomenal actor. But I don’t know how she’ll look like Sita. Once we see her, we’ll know. At the moment, I have no clue. The description of Sita in Tulsidas’ Ramayan was that of a woman with almond eyes, a certain height, hair and skin. That’s what Ramanand Sagar was looking for, and he saw it in me. I know all of them are good actors. If they fit the bill, then it’s good. Sitaji with curly hair is not mentioned in Ramayan,” she had said.
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‘If he can do Animal, he can also play Ram’
The release of the Ramayana trailer has reignited online debate around Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Ram, with some social media users arguing that the actor’s role in Animal makes him unsuitable to portray the revered mythological figure.
Dipika Chikhalia, however, dismissed the criticism, saying actors should not be judged by a single performance.
Dipika said, “We are actors. We haven’t come from above. As actors, we get the opportunity to play different kinds of characters, and that’s the biggest thing.”
She added, “If someone can do Barfi!, they can do Animal. And if they can do Animal, they can also play Ram. Just imagine how fortunate he is to get such a wide variety of roles. He is very lucky, and it’s wonderful that he is doing it.”
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Dipika says Ramayana will be ‘magnificent’
Dipika Chikhalia also spoke about the sheer scale of Nitesh Tiwari’s adaptation, saying it is unlike anything Indian cinema has attempted before.
“I feel this is a very big project. It’s huge. It’s the kind of film that hasn’t been seen before because it brings together the South Indian film industry and Bollywood. I feel it will be truly magnificent.”
Referring to the film’s reported budget of Rs 4,000 crore, she said the scale of the production will particularly enhance the film’s action and war sequences.
“It will definitely be something worth watching. The budget is also enormous. That becomes a huge advantage. If you have that kind of money, you can achieve anything. Take the war sequences, for example. They will be able to present them in a very beautiful way. And I’m sure they must have done a great job because they have such talented actors. They’re all fabulous actors. Having good actors makes a tremendous difference.”
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About Ramayana
The trailer of Ramayana was released on Thursday during the auspicious Brahma Muhurat at 4:15 am and will also be attached to screenings of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in theatres. The trailer received mixed reactions online, with viewers praising its scale and visuals while others questioned certain creative choices.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is a two-part cinematic adaptation of Valmiki’s epic. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, alongside Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Rakul Preet Singh, Kunal Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Arun Govil, Sheeba Chaddha and Adinath Kothare.
Backed by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios in association with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, the ambitious project is reportedly mounted on a budget of Rs 4,000 crore. It features music by Oscar winners Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman in their first collaboration on an Indian film. Pankaj Kumar serves as the cinematographer, while Mad Max action director Guy Norris has choreographed the action sequences. The screenplay has been written by Nitesh Tiwari and Shridhar Raghavan.
Ramayana: Part 1 is scheduled to release in theatres during Diwali 2026, with Part 2 set to arrive in Diwali 2027.
