Actor Gajendra Chauhan, who is widely remembered for playing Yudhishthir in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat, has shared his reservations about Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Yash as Raavan. Speaking on the Hindi Rush Podcast, Chauhan said he was “not impressed” by the trailer, although he praised Ranbir’s appearance as Ram.
Chauhan said his concerns were not about Ranbir’s looks but about whether an established Bollywood star can convincingly shed his existing image to portray a mythological figure.
“I saw the Ramayana trailer. Personally, I am telling you, I was not impressed,” Chauhan said. He specifically pointed to Kaikeyi’s portrayal and the sequence in which she demands Ram’s exile. Drawing from his own experience of playing Dashrath in BR Chopra’s Ramayan in 2002, he criticised the styling of Kaikeyi.
“I was not impressed by Kaikeyi’s scene where she asks for Ram’s exile. Her dressing, for one, is very modern. They have given her a modern sari,” he said.
Chauhan also felt that the scene lacked the emotional intensity he remembered from Ravi Chopra’s version of Ramayan. He recalled that the Kaikeyi-Dashrath sequence took around a day and a half to shoot and said it was an important part of the story because it depicts a family breaking apart after Kaikeyi is influenced by Manthara.
Gajendra Chauhan on casting Bollywood stars in mythology
Chauhan explained that established stars can face a particular challenge when portraying mythological characters because audiences already associate them with their existing screen personas.
“Stars have an image. It is very difficult for that star image to be accepted in mythology. If you want to play these characters, you should not have too much of an image. You should not be too exposed to the public,” he said.
He cited his own experience in Mahabharat, noting that although he had worked in films and around 25 television serials before being cast as Yudhishthir, he did not have a major public profile.
“The image that was created for me came from Mahabharat, because before that I didn't have an image,” he said.
Chauhan also recalled a previously announced Mahabharat project that had featured a star-studded cast, including Amitabh Bachchan as Bhishma Pitamah, Hrithik Roshan as Karna, Ajay Devgn and Aamir Khan as Krishna. The project was eventually shelved after two years.
According to Chauhan, Ranbir already has a well-established image among audiences.
“Here, Ranbir Kapoor has his own image. He is a very big star. Now he is playing Ram,” he said.
However, Chauhan clarified that he had no objection to Ranbir’s appearance as Ram. “He is looking good, no doubt. He looks very good in the get-up,” he said.
He added that viewers also carry their own mental image of Lord Ram, which could influence their response to a new portrayal.
“We had an image of Ram in our imagination — that he would have a long nose, that he would look like a king, that kind of look,” Chauhan said.
At the same time, he acknowledged that judging the film solely from its trailer would be difficult. “Until the film is released and we see it in its totality, it is a little difficult to comment,” he said.
Gajendra Chauhan praises Arun Govil as Dashrath
While Chauhan expressed reservations about parts of the trailer, he singled out Arun Govil’s casting as King Dashrath for particular praise.
Govil famously portrayed Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan in the late 1980s. Chauhan called his casting in the new film one of its strongest choices.
“I think the best casting is Arun Govil as Dashrath,” he said.
Chauhan noted the significance of Govil moving from playing Ram decades ago to portraying his father.
“He was Ram 40 years ago. After 40 years, he has grown into Dashrath. He has become a father,” he said.
Calling Govil a “fantastic actor”, Chauhan expressed confidence that he would do justice to the role.
Tiwari’s Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Raavan, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. Arun Govil plays Dashrath, while Lara Dutta portrays Kaikeyi. Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi and Saurabh Sachdeva are also part of the cast.
Ramayana: Part One is scheduled to release in India on November 8, 2026. The film will focus on Ram’s early years, his relationship and marriage with Sita, and the beginning of his 14-year exile. The second instalment is expected to arrive during Diwali 2027.
