Dipika Chikhlia defends Ranbir Kapoor's casting in Ramayana amid criticism: ‘Someone who can do Animal can play Ram’
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Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is not just one of the most-awaited films in Indian cinema, it’s also one of the most polarising ones. Even as some remain excited about the movie adaptation of the epic, there has been criticism surrounding the casting of Ranbir Kapoor as Ram. TV show Ramayana star Dipika Chikhlia , who once played Sita, defended his casting on a podcast.
Adding to this, Dipika Chikhlia thinks Ranbir Kapoor is lucky to be playing Ram in Ramayana. Dipika Chikhlia defends Ranbir Kapoor in Ramayana Dipika was asked for her opinion on Nitesh’s soon-to-release Ramayana films, including Ranbir's casting as Ram, on the Hindi Rush podcast. It was pointed out that he has made films like Animal in the past, which, according to the host, added to the criticism. Dipika, however, shared that his job as an star was to play a variety of roles.
Meanwhile, “He’s an star. It’s not like we descended from above,” she shared, referring to herself and co-star Arun Govil , who played Ram on the TV show. “It’s a great thing for an star to be able to play varied characters. Someone who can do Barfi can also do Animal. Someone who can do Animal can also play Ram. Imagine his good luck that he got these kinds of roles. He’s very lucky, and it’s very good that he’s doing it,” added Dipika, while referring to Ranbir.
Notably, Ranbir also seemed aware of the criticism, addressing it to the Review Nation YouTube channel on the sidelines of San Diego Comic-Con last week. “The first question that popped into my head was, am I worthy? Am I the right person, and why am I being gifted this responsibility to not play Lord Rama but represent him? But very soon you understand the value, the responsibility and the noble intention of the filmmakers to present the story, which has been relevant for 4,000 years. It's deeply ingrained in our subconscious. So I don't think there's a right star to play Lord Rama,” he shared.
As per the latest buzz, Ranbir also shared that everyone who watched Ramayan have their own interpretation of Ram and that ‘there’s no fixed face to it’. He also admitted that many believe he’s a wrong fit for the role, while others might believe he’s right for it. “But the honest truth is that the right casting for Ram would be any star who has the right intentions and who has belief and faith in the journey of Lord Ram,” he shared.
In further updates, Ramayana also stars Sai Pallavi , Yash, Sunny Deol, Rakul Preet Singh, Ravi Dubey, and others. It will be rolled out in theatres for Diwali 2026, while part 2 will hit screens for Diwali 2027.
On top of that, Despite having a Master's degree in Journalism and over a decade of experience in print and digital media as a field reporter and sub-editor at organisations such as The Times of India and Reader's Digest, Neeshita Nyayapati remains a movie buff first and a Chief Content Producer second. She fell in love with movies in childhood and believes nothing matches the magic of watching a good movie that moves you with a warm tub of popcorn in hand. Her love for writing about cinema follows that. Come Friday, you'll find her at her happy place, the movies, catching the latest rom-com or masala offering, for reviews or otherwise. As for the rest of the week, she's here reporting the juiciest news in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi or bringing out the best of celebs in interviews. While her niche is Telugu cinema, Neeshita likes to dabble in a little bit of everything to stay up to date. From movie announcements to scandals and hard news angles, she has explored it all. A good book, a comforting cup of hot chocolate, puppy kisses and a stunning beach view are all she needs to unwind. Her passion for biking and travelling has taken her to various places across the country. She has found peace in everything from the frozen lakes of Gangtok to the coffee plantations of Coorg and the dense forests of Bandipur, to the monasteries of Darjeeling. But no matter where she goes, Neeshita loves coming across inspiring and moving stories. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times