1 month ago
Chikhalia Defends Kapoor’s Ram Casting After Bharadwaj’s Warning
A famous actress, Dipika Chikhalia, said that actors can play many different roles.
She defended the choice of Ranbir Kapoor to play Lord Rama in a new movie called Ramayana.
Another actor, Nitish Bharadwaj, said Ranbir should not do a movie called Animal after playing Rama, because it might hurt the story’s respect.
Dipika also talked about another actress, Sai Pallavi, who will play Sita, and said she is a good actor.
The Ramayana movie is very big, costing 4,000 crore rupees, and will come out in two parts in 2026 and 2027.
Dipika Chikhalia defended Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Rama after Nitish Bharadwaj urged him to avoid roles like Animal.
Chikhalia argued actors should have diverse roles, citing Kapoor’s work in Barfi! and Animal as evidence of versatility.
Bharadwaj, who played Rama in a 2001 adaptation, warned Kapoor to uphold India’s cultural heritage and avoid “polluting” his image with films like Animal.
Chikhalia expressed initial concerns about Sai Pallavi’s casting as Sita but later clarified she had no intention to criticize the actress.
Ramayana is a two‑part epic film with a reported budget of Rs 4,000 crore, set to release in 2026 and 2027.
- Who
- Dipika Chikhalia, Ranbir Kapoor, Nitish Bharadwaj, Sai Pallavi, Nitesh Tiwari
- What
- Debate over Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Rama and actor versatility
- Where
- India, Indian film industry
- When
- After the trailer release in 2023
- Why
- To defend Kapoor’s versatility and address cultural responsibility concerns
Key facts
- Film
- Ramayana
- Director
- Nitesh Tiwari
- Lead Actor
- Ranbir Kapoor
- Budget
- Rs 4,000 crore
- Release Dates
- Part 1: October 2026, Part 2: October 2027
- Music
- Hans Zimmer & A.R. Rahman
Quotes
Dipika Chikhalia
Former actress and former Sita role in 1980s Ramayan TV series
“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.”
telegraphindia.com
NDTV
“"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."”
telegraphindia.com
NDTV
Sources
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