Ramayana actor Surabhi Das defends Sai Pallavi's ‘modern’ styling as Sita amid criticism: ‘You can’t please everyone'
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
The trailer of Nitesh Tiwari 's Ramayana created a huge buzz among audiences. While many appreciated the movie's VFX, scale and visuals, a debate also erupted over Sai Pallavi's styling as Sita and Lara Dutta 's costume as Kaikeyi. Amid the backlash, Sai's Ramayana co-star, Surabhi Das, has defended the movie's styling.
Adding to this, Surabhi Das talks about criticism around Sai Pallavi's styling as Mata Sita. Surabhi Das reacts to styling criticism Reacting to the criticism surrounding Sita's blouse in the movie, Surabhi, who plays Sita's cousin and Shatrughan's wife Shrutakirti, told Zoom, “I feel people will always have something to say. Agar hum Sita ko blouse nahi pehnate, tab bhi logon ka opinion hota ki unko blouse kaise nahi pehnaya. Jab blouse pehnaya tab bhi problem hai (If we didn’t make Sita wear a blouse, people would still have an opinion about why she wasn’t wearing one. Even when we make her wear a blouse, there’s still a problem). People will always point out things. The Ramayana is a huge project, and you can’t expect everyone to agree with or like it. I am not saying sab kuch perfect hoga, but please wait for the movie. You will understand what they are offering only after going to theatres.”
Meanwhile, She added that the scale of the movie would overshadow such criticism and shared, "The movie has been mounted on such a huge scale that people won’t even notice all these things. There have been so many films on the Ramayana before this as well; I am sure people had things to say. They must have had disagreements, and that is bound to happen. You can’t please everybody. Ab ismein blouse pehnaya toh bhi problem, nahi pehnaya toh bhi problem (Now, there’s a problem whether she wears a blouse or doesn’t wear one)."
Notably, Before Surabhi, the movie's costume designers, Rimple and Harpreet Narulah, also reacted to the criticism. They acknowledged that, since the Ramayana is an epic that has existed in the collective consciousness of several generations, opinions about its casting, costumes and visual effects were bound to emerge.
As per the latest buzz, Rimple clarified that Sai's styling as Sita was her personal interpretation of the goddess she had grown up worshipping. She also explained that there are no surviving pieces of clothing from the Treta Yuga that could serve as direct references for the costumes. Instead, the designers drew inspiration from the artistic depictions of the characters that people have seen over generations.
In further updates, Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana also stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, along with Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi and Arun Govil in key roles. Backed by Namit Malhotra and Yash, the movie is mounted on a staggering budget of ₹ 4,000 crore rupees. It will rollout in two parts, with the first part hitting the screens on Diwali 2026.
On top of that, Riya Sharma is a content producer at Hindustan Times who lives and breathes entertainment. If there’s gossip making noise in Bollywood or a reality show moment breaking the internet, chances are she’s already writing about it. She loves digging out the juiciest stories, spotting widely shared pegs and turning it into easy-to-read content. A journalism graduate from IP University, Riya began her career as a social media executive, where she learned the art of grabbing attention in a scroll-heavy world. But her love for showbiz soon pulled her into entertainment journalism, because for her, it’s always been entertainment, entertainment and more entertainment. An artist at heart, Riya has a deep passion for acting, music and dance, which shapes how she watches and writes about films and reality shows. She loves sharing her views and reviews, especially when something excites, surprises or completely disappoints her. A hardcore reality show fan, Riya enjoys tracking every twist, task and meltdown, and breaking them down for readers who can’t get enough of high-voltage drama. Movies are equally close to her heart, whether it’s a big theatrical rollout or a binge-worthy OTT series, she’s always watching, and analysing what’s worth the time. She loves talking to celebrities, asking questions that go beyond the usual. When she’s not working, she’s either glued to a new web series, hunting for underrated thrillers on OTT platforms, or rewatching iconic Bollywood moments. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times