Ramayana: Mukesh Khanna discusses Ranbir Kapoor playing Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwari's film; says, 'Adding a beard or altering his traditional look...'

Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi starrer Ramayana is one of the most highly-anticipated films. Directed by, Nitesh Tiwari, the film has garnered a lot of attention ever since the reports of making the film spread on social media. In Ramayana, Ranbir and Sai will play Lord Ram and Sita respectively. In a new interview, Mukesh Khanna opened up about the trend of mythology-based films in the industry and his comments came amid discussions about Ranbir playing Ram in Nitesh Tiwari's directorial.

Mukesh Khanna on Ranbir Kapoor playing Lord Ram

In a new interview with Times of India, Mukesh Khanna urged filmmakers to handle mythological portrayals with care. He said that Ram and Krishna are meant to be divine and beautiful, not conventionally handsome. 

"For instance, you wouldn’t depict Ram or Krishna with a moustache. These characters hold a sacred image - Krishna, for example, is often depicted as gracefully beautiful. Adding a beard or altering his traditional look would completely distort his identity,” he explained.

Also read: Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana with Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash announced for Diwali 2026 and 2027

Mukesh Khanna comments on Ranveer Singh

Drawing a comparison, he highlighted Ranveer Singh’s casting and called him a brilliant actor. However, he added that Ranveer's flamboyant image doesn't align with the sacredness required for roles like Shaktimaan or Ram. 

"The actor chosen must embody the essence of these iconic characters. If an actor better suited for Ravan is cast as Ram, it would be unjust to the character of Ram," Khanna said.

Ranbir Kapoor talks about Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana

At the Red Sea Film Festival 2024 in Jeddah, Ranbir opened up about Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana for the first time. Praising the film’s producer, Namit Malhotra, he mentioned that Malhotra has the best of all the artists and all the creative people for the film.

Revealing more details, Ranbir added, “It has two parts. I have finished the shooting of Part 1 and will shoot Part 2 soon. Just to be a part of that story, I am so humbled to essay Ram’s role. It’s a dream for me. It’s a film that has everything. It teaches what Indian culture is about — family dynamics and husband-wife dynamics.”

Meanwhile, Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana Part 1 will hit big screens on Diwali 2026. The second part will be released on Diwali 2027. Apart from Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Sai Pallavi as Sita, the film also reportedly stars Yash as Ravana, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.

Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

Also Read: Sonakshi Sinha slams Mukesh Khanna for ‘distasteful statements’ about dad Shatrughan Sinha and her upbringing: ‘Next time you decide to say anything…’