Ranbir Kapoor and Yash on Playing Ram and Ravana in Ramayana
At San Diego Comic-Con, Ranbir Kapoor and Yash sat down with IMDb to talk about starring as Lord Ram and Ravana in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming two-part movie, Ramayana. Both actors opened up about the pressure of taking on characters deeply rooted in Indian culture and what it takes to bring a thousands-of-years-old story to life for modern global audiences.
The Weight of Playing Lord Ram
For Ranbir Kapoor, taking on the role of Lord Ram comes with a deep sense of responsibility.
“Every Indian is born with the faith of Ramayana, so we understand the responsibility, the value,” Kapoor shared. He noted that the story has mattered to billions of people across generations for thousands of years, which meant the entire team had to bring absolute commitment, faith, and truth to the set.
Playing a figure revered as Maryada Purushottam—the ideal son, brother, husband, and leader—is no small task. Kapoor admitted that trying to capture that perfection on screen felt terrifying, but the collective moral responsibility kept everyone grounded.
When asked about the most memorable day of shooting, Kapoor pointed to the Kop Bhavan scene, where Lord Ram is ordered into a 14-year exile. He shared that the emotional weight of that sacrifice hit everyone on set, leaving the entire crew deeply moved. For him, the core of the story isn’t just its massive scale, but its lessons on courage, righteousness, complex relationships, and overcoming adversity.
Yash on Ravana as the “OG Villain”
Yash, who plays the complex antagonist Ravana, explained the character’s global significance to international fans discovering the story for the first time.
“He’s the OG villain,” Yash said, pointing out that the narrative has endured for 5,000 years. He believes that countless modern fictional villains trace their roots back to Ravana’s archetype.
Rather than portraying him as a simple bad guy, Yash emphasized what makes Ravana compelling: his conviction. He noted that the best villains always have a strong point of view and genuinely believe they are in the right. For Ravana, it came down to a very thin line between confidence and arrogance.
Ramayana is currently one of the most anticipated Indian film projects in production, bringing together stars from different regional industries to adapt the ancient epic on an unprecedented scale.
