Yash will be seen playing Raavan in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, which stars Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi as Ram and Sita.
It was reported earlier that pan-India actor Yash had denied playing Ravana in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, with Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, and Sai Pallavi as Sita. Now much to everyone’s surprise, the actor has confirmed that he is indeed part of the film, and confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter India that he will play the role of Ravana in the much-awaited mythological epic. In fact, he said that he was always keen to not play any other character than Ravana.
Sharing how he was told about Ramayana initially during a chat with Namit Malhotra of DNEG and Prime Focus, Yash said that he was mighty impressed with the passion behind the project. He then revealed how Namit then asked him to play the role of Ravana, to which Yash had said, “If the character is treated like a character… if this doesn’t happen today, then the film won’t happen. To make a film with that kind of budget, you need those kind of actors to come together and work for the project. It has to be beyond yourself and your stardom. We have to place the project and the vision first.” Post the conversation, Yash decided to co-produce the film as well.
Giving insights into the character of Ravana, Yash called it a “fascinating character”, and further asserted, “I wouldn’t have done it for any other reason. In Ramayana, if you had asked me, ‘Would you play any other character?’ Probably not. For me, Ravana is the most exciting character to play as an actor so I really like the shades and the nuances of a particular character. There’s vast scope to present it in a very different way. As an actor, I am very excited. Hopefully, it’s going to be a very unique approach to it.”
It is believed that the pre-production work of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is in full swing, and in fact, a picture of Ranbir and Sai in costumes from the set even went viral on social media. Interestingly, despite the producers' efforts to hide the details of Ranbir Kapoor's film, there have been occasional leaks of information to amp up the excitement of the film. The makers have reportedly commandeered a massive set in Mumbai’s Film City for the filming.
Meanwhile, as per reports, Nitesh Tiwari is filming the Ramayana as a two-part epic since the film has a massive scope and grandeur. Another report suggested how the project, which is being planned as a franchise, will have its first part budgeted at a humongous Rs 100 million, approximately Rs 835 crore. Hence, it would be the costliest Indian film of all time.
Coming to the film’s cast, it is speculated that Lara Dutta will be seen in the role of Kaikeyi, Sunny Deol will take the role of Hanuman while Sheeba Chaddha will be seen as Manthara. There’s also the potential of Vijay Sethupathi to be seen as Vibhishan in Ramayana while Ravi Dubey might take on the role of Lakshman. Lastly, Arun Govil might make a return to the Ramayana universe as King Dasharatha in the epic’s latest adaptation. However, an official announcement regarding it is still awaited.
Nonetheless, the makers of the film are yet to make an official announcement about the same, but reportedly, they are aiming for the film to be released in 2025.