of Nitesh Tiwari The Ramayana was the most anticipated Hindi release of the year, and it definitely lived up to the expectations of the audience. At least the box office figures say so.
The Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash starrer Nitesh Tiwari’s epic is playing havoc at the box office, crossing Rs 100 crore in India and Rs 200 crore worldwide in two days. Interestingly, the triumph of good over evil and the story of Rama vs. Ravana is quite the flavor of the season.
As old as an epic time, The Ramayana has found its way into various stories over the years. It is one of the latest releases to include its elements newbie, Which was led by Yami Gautam.
new Begins as a satirical domestic comedy but soon turns into a mythological story called Kaal Sheel Patthar (linked to the legend of the Treta Yuga and the Rama-Ravana myth). Thus comes the epic showdown between good and evil.
One of the standout performances in the film is by veteran actress Sushmita Mukherjee, one of the ultimate queens of comedy, if you can call her that. With her combination of sardonic comedy and generational banter, she plays the grandmother of the Awasthi household and is at her hilarious best.
In an exclusive chat with NDTV, the actor opened up about everything The RamayanaLord Ram vs. Ravana, and shared his opinion on one of the trending topics surrounding the recently released epic: Is Ravana being glorified or justified?
When asked if she believed that Ravana had many layers to his personality, Sushmita Mukherjee says, “Everyone has come for the role. Everyone has chosen which character they want to play. And they play that role in the script of life. By saying, Ravana is representing Ravana’s rogue group, they are all negative. So Ravana has all the qualities, which are the common man in us.” are. To be able to identify, to make it Scripturally relevant to represent good versus evil, you have to make it.”
“But it’s for a discerning audience to understand that. So he’s there as a mirror to show us evil. We’re not there to judge, what’s Diwali, Deepavali, what,” she adds.
On adaptations The Ramayana Being judged by the audience for emotional connection
There has been a continuous debate about The Ramayana for all the religious sentiments it touches. Many people were, and still are, not happy with the casting of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram.
Sai Pallavi as Sita was heavily trolled for various reasons, from her hair texture to her looks and accent. The judgments are endless, and it is the emotional connection to one of India’s most beloved epics that leads to such scrutiny.
Sushmita Mukherjee says it’s really great to see people culturally connected to their roots. She repeats that as epic The Ramayana And Mahabharata Our intelligences are contained and have countless layers to them.
The actor shared, “These epics are perpetuating our intellect, perpetuating our culture, — they’re actually, through Shruti’s stories, coming down to us from generation to generation. So I think people are culturally connected, you know, emotionally connected.”
“And Buddhi Te O Buddhi Te Ka Ae Ka Zamana Hai, Aap Log Ka Zamana Hai. Beyond this is consciousness, our core consciousness, core values, core understanding. So these epics can be truly life-changing for all of us at any time, any day, any time, any generation,” she adds.
Yami Gautam as Sita
As the release of Ramayana gained momentum, some social media posts started doing the rounds, with users saying that Yami Gautam will be dazzling as Sita.
Does Sushmita Mukherjee agree?
She says, “People have their opinions. They say something about Ranbir, they say something about him.”
The actress says she hasn’t seen Ramayana yet; Therefore, it would not be fair to compare it. However, she admires Sai Pallavi as Sita.
Speaking about working with Yami Gautam in Nai Naveli, she says, “She is a very, for lack of better words, a very balanced human being that we have seen. She is very precise in her behaviour. She is honest, balanced, good and professional.”
“She knows exactly what she wants. She’s very clear. She’s also very humble. ‘Please help me. Help me when I need it.’ So I thought it was wonderful. And he won us over from the first reading by saying,” concludes Sushmita Mukherjee.
As for Ramayana, The film has released in theaters on November 5 and is consistently earning at the box office.
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