Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 13 (ANI): Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna has voiced strong reservations about Ranbir Kapoor’s film ‘Ramayana’, questioning whether the grand cinematic adaptation has done justice to the essence, emotions and truth of the Hindu epic.
Speaking to ANI, Khanna acknowledged the film’s scale and the efforts behind its making, further maintaining that commercial success and extravagant production values cannot come at the cost of the original narrative.
Reacting to the film, Khanna said that he was less concerned about how much money the project earns and more interested in whether the filmmakers have retained the authenticity of the epic. He stressed that the Ramayana is not an ordinary story that can be altered or modified for cinematic convenience, adding that filmmakers who choose to adapt religious and mythological texts carry a significant responsibility.
"A very prominent actor from our film industry remarked that a film like this hasn’t been made in the last 100 years. I suppose it must be that good. But here’s the issue: it doesn’t matter to me whether you’ve earned a thousand crores. What matters is whether you’ve concealed even a shred of the truth, or if you’ve introduced even a shred of falsehood. This isn’t just any ordinary story; it is the story of the Ramayana," Khanna said.
He further questioned the need for an enormous budget to make the epic appealing to contemporary audiences, arguing that the story itself possesses enough emotional depth and narrative strength.
"The Ramayana is hardly a boring story that requires a Rs 4,000-crore budget just to make it accessible to today’s audience. If the Rs 4,000-crore expenditure ends up overshadowing the story itself, then I would call it a waste of money. As I stated earlier, in the pursuit of grandeur, the essence, the emotions, have been sacrificed," he remarked.
Apart from questioning the film's narrative and creative treatment, Khanna also shared his views on the performances, particularly Ranbir Kapoor's portrayal of Lord Rama.
While he acknowledged that Kapoor had delivered a good performance, he felt that the actor's screen presence and manner of speaking did not fully capture the personality traditionally associated with Lord Ram.
Khanna observed that Kapoor appeared more like a warrior in a conventional Hindi film than the composed and dignified Lord Ram.
"People don't see you as Ram. Atleast I didn't feel so. Ranbir Kapoor has done a good job. But it seems like Ranbir Kapoor is fighting in a Hindi film. Ram looks zero strong when compared with Ravan in the film. But when you are playing the role of Ram, you should look like Ram. You don't look like Ram, and you are not speaking in Ram's style. You are speaking in the style of a warrior," he said.
Khanna emphasised how actor Arun Govil perfectly portrayed the character of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's TV show 'Ramayan'.
"Ram was not a warrior. Ram was Maryada Purushottam. There was a calmness in his speech. Arun Govil caught it. He played Ramayana with a smile," Khanna stated.
The veteran actor further expressed appreciation for Arun Govil, who was seen as King Dashrath in Nitesh Tiwari's 'Ramayana'. Praising Govil's performance in the film, Khanna said that the actor had been given scenes that allowed him to deliver a good performance.
Khanna also questioned the role of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in regulating cinematic representations of religious and mythological subjects. He argued that a separate, dedicated committee comprising scholars should be established to examine scripts and creative decisions before filmmakers are allowed to proceed with such projects.
"I believe the Censor Board is not responsible enough to stop such films. A dedicated commission should be established. Anyone wishing to make a film based on historical or mythological subjects, whether it concerns the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, or even a figure like Lord Ganesha, must be required to have their project reviewed and approved by a committee of scholars," he said.
He further expressed concern over the possibility of inappropriate creative liberties being taken in the portrayal of religious characters, insisting that matters of faith should not be treated casually.
"If such a committee exists, there would be no need for me to speak out, as they would ensure that inappropriate scenes, such as depicting Goddess Sita engaged in a fight, are never included. Matters of religion and faith are at stake here; one cannot simply toy with someone’s religion," Khanna added.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, 'Ramayana: Part 1' is the first instalment of a two-part cinematic adaptation of the ancient Indian epic. The film features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. (ANI)
"You don't look like Ram": Mukesh Khanna on Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Ramayana’ role
