With the trailer of Ramayana set to release on July 24, Dipika Chikhalia, who became a household name after portraying Sita in Ramanand Sagar’s legendary television series, has shared her thoughts on Sai Pallavi stepping into the iconic role for Nitesh Tiwari’s adaptation. In an interview with Variety India, Deepika also spoke about Arun Govil’s return to the Ramayana universe as King Dashrath, the enduring legacy of the original series, and how playing Sita influenced the course of her career.When asked about Sai Pallavi taking on the role of Sita, Dipika described the actor as immensely talented but said it would be unfair to judge her casting before seeing her performance.“I have seen her work. She’s a phenomenal actor. But I don’t know how she’ll look like Sita. Once we see her, we’ll know. At the moment, I have no clue. The description of Sita in Tulsidas’ Ramayan was that of a woman with almond eyes, a certain height, hair and skin. That’s what Ramanand Sagar was looking for, and he saw it in me. I know all of them are good actors. If they fit the bill, then it’s good,” she said.Deepika also commented on Arun Govil, who famously portrayed Lord Ram alongside her in the television classic and is now set to appear as King Dashrath in Nitesh Tiwari’s film.Reflecting on the lasting impact of Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, she said the serial remains deeply embedded in the public consciousness, especially after being re-aired during the COVID-19 lockdown.“We’re known for what we are. I’m known as Sita. Sometimes, people forget my name, but they remember that I played Sita. So, that’s my identity. I don’t know why anybody would want to lose that. Of course, as an actor, you want to play different roles. Nobody wants to get typecast.”She continued, “I think our Ramayan will weigh very heavily on the Ramayana film. Our Ramayan was also watched by the new generation when it aired on Doordarshan during the pandemic. So, it’s very difficult to erase that. Sitaji with curly hair is not mentioned in Ramayan.”Deepika also spoke candidly about the professional challenges she faced after becoming so closely associated with Sita. She said the popularity of the role eventually limited the variety of characters she was offered.“I didn’t get any work. In fact, I’m asking people for work even now. Ranbir has acted in Barfi, Sanju and Animal, and now he is playing Lord Rama. That’s the beauty of today’s time. It wasn’t like that during our days. We all got typecast. It’s still very tough to get work because people can’t see me as anyone else. That’s why I got into production.”Speaking about Yash’s casting as Ravana, Deepika expressed confidence in the actor’s abilities while pointing out that Ramanand Sagar’s adaptation still holds a special place in the hearts of audiences.“I’ve seen a little bit of Yash’s work. I’m sure he’ll be dynamic. But the thing is that erasing the old Ramayan will be very difficult. Also, it’s very recent. Had the film come out 50 years later, people would have forgotten Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan and the cast. Right now, it’s still very fresh in their minds.”Despite her observations, Deepika wished the cast and crew success and expressed confidence that the film would attract audiences.“All these are talented people. I’m sure it will be a film people want to watch at least once. The crux of Ramayan was that every actor who played that character fit the bill. That, along with Ravindra Jain’s music, was the reason behind the success of Ramayan.”Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is planned as a two-part cinematic adaptation of Valmiki’s epic. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The ensemble cast also includes Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Rakul Preet Singh, Kunal Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Arun Govil, Sheeba Chaddha and Adinath Kothare.
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