Kamal Ghorui
The first glimpse of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram in Ramayana has sparked conversations across the internet, drawing both praise and criticism. While some lauded the scale and ambition of the project, others expressed concerns over the VFX after the teaser dropped on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti.Amid the mixed reactions, Moti Sagar, son of Ramanand Sagar—the creator of the iconic Ramayan—has weighed in on the debate.
Moti Sagar backs Ranbir Kapoor, urges patience
Moti Sagar, who co-directed the original series with his father, said it would be premature to judge the film based solely on its teaser. However, he expressed confidence in Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Ram—a role immortalised by Arun Govil in the 1987 show.“I expect something very good from ‘Ramayana’ as he (Ranbir) is one of the best actors we have today as far as performances are concerned, including getting the emotions (right). He is such a class actor and has so much depth. But you cannot judge anything from this teaser,” he told PTI.“The actor has got so much depth in his performance. He must have gone very deep into this character. So, I would like to see the whole film and then comment. I’m expecting something very good from this film,” he added.
‘Comparison with TV show is not right’
Addressing comparisons between the upcoming film and the 1987 television classic, Moti Sagar said such parallels are unfair given the difference in format and duration.“People often overlook that our ‘Ramayan’ spanned 78 episodes of 30–40 minutes each, while the film will run for just three to four hours. So, there will be a lot of differences, like we can go into a lot of details in a show,” he explained.He further emphasised that the original show became a cultural phenomenon because of the time and depth it could dedicate to storytelling.
Ramanand Sagar’s vision and making of Ramayan
Recalling his father’s vision, Moti Sagar shared that Ramanand Sagar was deeply devoted to Lord Ram and saw Ramayan as his lifetime ambition.“My father was a devotee of Lord Ram. After making ‘Vikram Betal’ and ‘Dada Dadi Ki Kahaniyan’, he called all four of us and said that ‘Ramayan’ is my lifetime ambition. I’ve to do it, even if I’ve to sell my bungalow,” he said.“He also said he is not making the show for money… We all joined him and for those two-three years, we lived and breathed only ‘Ramayan’. He made it to create awareness and moral values.”Moti Sagar also revealed that the show, made on a modest budget of Rs 9 lakh per episode, faced several challenges during production. With no CGI available at the time, the team relied on innovative techniques.“We did the special effects using unique methods. Like, incense and dhoop sticks were used to create fog, cotton was used to create a cloud. Also, we used a new machine, SEG 2000, a special effects generator, for the bow and arrow scenes,” he said.
About Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and backed by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana boasts a star-studded cast. Alongside Ranbir Kapoor, the film features Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.Interestingly, Arun Govil will also be seen in a pivotal role in the film, alongside Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, and Sheeba Chaddha.The first part of Ramayana is slated for a Diwali 2026 release, with the second installment expected to arrive in Diwali 2027.
