Mahabharat star Nitish Bharadwaj goes from predicting Oscar for Ramayana to criticising it, says film misrepresents India's history
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Star Nitish Bharadwaj , who played Lord Krishna in BR Chopra's iconic 1988 television series Mahabharat , was among the first celebrities to praise Ramayana after its trailer was rolled out. The star even predicted that the movie would win an Oscar. However, Nitish changed his stance after watching the movie and went on to criticise the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer, saying it misrepresents India's history and heritage.
Adding to this, Mahabharat star Nitish Bharadwaj criticised Ramayana. ‘The movie alters the moral framework of Ramayana’ The star expressed his disappointment with the makers' portrayal of Ravana, played by Yash, as a fair and socially just character. According to him, this changes the moral framework of the epic.
Meanwhile, He wrote on Instagram, "The Ramayan is not just a story. It is deeply rooted in the civilizational and spiritual consciousness of Sanatan Bharat. Its heroes, heroine and antagonist are integral to the values and message of this Mahakavya. Their character and significance cannot be casually redefined. Mahavishnu took the Ram Avatar to uphold Dharma, parampara and establish Maryada. By presenting Ravan as an exceptionally liberal, socially just and fair figure, the movie, in my view, alters the moral framework of the Ramayan and undermines the very purpose of avataar."
Notably, Nitish also pointed out that impressive visual effects cannot substitute for the core values of the epic. He further opened up that he was withdrawing his earlier social media post in which he had lauded the movie after watching its trailer.
As per the latest buzz, He wrote, "I am deeply upset and disappointed with this movie. I withdraw my earlier post about it. I cannot find a single good word to say about it. A spectacle of VFX can never substitute for the core values, philosophical depth and spiritual essence of this Mahakavya. This movie, in my opinion, does not deserve to represent Indian cinema internationally when its narrative misrepresents Bharat's history, heritage and core spiritual values."
In further updates, View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nitish Bharadwaj (@nitishbharadwaj.krishna)
On top of that, Earlier, after watching the movie's trailer, Nitish had taken to social media to praise the makers and predict a major international recognition for the movie. He had written, "100% Oscar for Best Foreign Movie. Nitesh Tiwari is Bharat's next gift to world cinema after Satyajit Rai and Shekhar Kapoor. Tens of awards for Production Design and DOP. Wonderful period creation using VFX and AI. Thanks to the great music maestro Hans Zimmer for collaborating with Indian cinema. Ranbir now at par with Ranveer as the next two unbeatable Dhurandhars. Yash — welcome to global cinema."
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. Produced by Namit Malhotra, the two-part epic features music by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer. The first instalment was rolled out in theatres on November 5, 2026, with the second part scheduled to arrive in 2028.
Source: Hindustan Times