Ramayana: Rise of a Legend continues its impressive run at the ticket window, achieving major milestones worldwide. The mythological epic received positive-to-mixed reviews, with some viewers debating the performances of Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi as Lord Ram and Sita. While several viewers praised Yash's portrayal of Ravana, others felt that the villain appeared more impactful than the protagonist in the first instalment.
Now, Anupam Kher, who lends his voice to Jatayu in Nitesh Tiwari's directorial, has weighed in on the discussion. The actor explained that the director deliberately wanted to establish the villain as a powerful force in the first part.
‘Nitesh Needed To Establish The Villain'
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Anupam was asked why audiences seemed more invested in the sequences featuring Ravana than those involving Ram.
Explaining the filmmaker's approach, he said, “I believe Nitesh knew from the beginning that he was making the film in two parts. It wasn't an accidental decision. He needed to establish the villain as someone much bigger, so that the triumph of good over evil in the second part would feel much larger. Once you establish the villain, you understand the scale of what has to be overcome.”
Drawing comparisons with iconic Hindi films such as Sholay and Karma, Anupam added, “Hindi films always establish how frightening and powerful the villain is. So, when the hero finally defeats him, you feel high. I think that's the strategy here.”
‘Ravana Is Interesting Because Ram Is Interesting'
Anupam also disagreed with the suggestion that Ravana was more interesting than Ram in the film. He explained that the villain's larger-than-life portrayal worked because of Ram's character and the journey that unfolds in the remaining story.
“I don't think so. Instead, I think Ravana is interesting because Ram is interesting,” the actor said.
He further explained, “Ravana feels larger than life and dramatic, but Ram is different. Ram shows himself through various sequences that will come in the rest of the story. He will kill Vali, he will confront Meghnad. We're too impatient to understand the whole thing at once.”
Anupam also recalled the emotional scene between Jatayu and Ram, in which the latter breaks down. According to him, the sequence shows Ram's humanity and gives audiences a glimpse of his emotional depth.
Anupam Kher On Dubbing For Jatayu In Ramayana
During the same interaction, Anupam also opened up about how he came on board to voice Jatayu and his experience of dubbing for the film. He revealed that producer Namit Malhotra approached him for the role sometime around April or May last year.
“They showed me a nine-minute clip of what the film was about, and I was blown away. I was supposed to dub the same day. But then they showed me the Jatayu battle sequence with Ravana. Watching it, I was quite taken aback and I said, 'I'm not prepared for this'. So I came back the next day,” he recalled.
Explaining why the dubbing session took so long, he added that such a sequence would usually take him around 20 minutes in a regular film. But dubbing just 10 to 12 lines took him about five or six hours because he wanted to capture the soul of the character.
About Ramayana: Rise of a Legend
Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash in the villainous role of Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. The lineup also includes Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Sheeba Chaddha and Adinath Kothare. Anupam Kher voices Jatayu.
The mythological saga delves into Ravana's past, setting up the story till his abduction of Sita after a fight with Jatayu. It also depicts Lord Ram's childhood and upbringing, his marriage to Sita, the events of his 14-year exile, and his vow to bring Sita back from Ravana.
Co-produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash, the film has crossed the 1000-crore mark worldwide in just nine days of release. As per Sacnilk, Ramayana has collected Rs 612.45 crore net in India and Rs 1,110.70 crore worldwide.
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