The ‘Ramayana’ trailer may not have made its Friday debut, but the film’s cast and makers still treated San Diego Comic Con audiences to a first look at what lies ahead. The panel’s biggest moment came when leads Yash and Ranbir Kapoor sang each other’s praises for their portrayals of Ravana and Lord Rama. Ranbir noted that Yash’s Ravana, as envisioned in the Nitesh Tiwari film, moves away from the ‘stereotypical depictions’ the character has been given lately.
Ranbir Kapoor on sharing the screen with Yash
Taking the stage at the ‘Ramayana’ panel, Ranbir touched on the experience of sharing the film with Yash. He said, “Lord Rama and Ravana will be appearing together at the end of the film, with maybe a meeting in the middle. But we haven’t shot that. So, we haven’t had the opportunity to work together. But, I have known Yash for sometime now and I have been a big fan of his work. I truly believe that we needed somebody with his aura, his stardom, his outlook to play this role.“Touching on how this Ravana stands apart from past portrayals in the Nitesh Tiwari film, Ranbir added, “He has played it with so much swag, aura, and honesty that he has really made Ravana come alive. Over the years, we have a very stereotypical depiction of Ravana, but not this one.”
Yash on the importance of intent
Yash, meanwhile, said his belief in the film came down to the team getting its intent right. “Intent is the most important thing. If you have the right intent and the right team, everything will fall in place. This story itself has got so much of aspects where we have started figuring out so many aspects of life while making this film. Technically, yes, it was demanding with the make up and looks. There were so many challenges but eventually, when you are trying to tell a story – and that’s why we are all here. We love stories and we give it our all to bring it in the most authentic way. And I think we have been able to do that in quite a good manner is what I believe,” the Kannada star said.
Trailer launch postponed, says Namit Malhotra
The team’s Comic Con outing was originally slated to end with the trailer’s global unveiling on Friday morning, but producer Namit Malhotra shared that the launch has been deferred to a later date. In a social media post, he wrote, “Today is a very special moment for our “Ramayana”, my dream of taking ramayana to the world is now a reality with our partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment. In light of the above we will be launching our trailer now globally at a later date. “In over 100 years of indian cinema this will become a moment of great pride where Ramayana will be shown to the entire world like any major global Hindi film. This is special as it opens the door for people of the world to discover the richness of our culture and our stories with renewed pride and enthusiasm.”
About ‘Ramayana’
Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, ‘Ramayana’ is being made as a two-part epic, with the first instalment set to hit theatres this November. The film brings together Ranbir Kapoor and Yash alongside Sai Pallavi as Sita, with Ravie Dubey, Sunny Deol, Rakul Preet Singh, Lara Dutta, Arun Govil, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor and a large ensemble cast rounding out the lineup.
