He is one of the few South Indian actors to play the part of Nitesh Tiwari Ramayana: Part 1 and Part 2One of the most ambitious and biggest films of all time in Indian cinema.
Harish Uthman, Ravana’s brother, playing the role of Vibhishan, saw the masterpiece as a potential turning point in his career, giving him a chance to break free from being typecast as a soldier or antagonist.
In an exclusive chat with NDTV, the actor talked about working with Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, The Ramayana and so on.
Ask him how he landed the role of Vibhishan in the film directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash. The RamayanaAnd Harish narrated a very interesting story.
“I was not asked to audition. Jai, Nitesh Tiwari’s associate director, called me and said he wanted me for a role. After we started shooting, I asked him how he had approached me directly when casting teams usually come to me for auditions. He told me that Yash had recommended my name for the role of Vibhishan. I had never in my life returned to the story of Yashmet or Never talked. 2015. A Kannada film team was following me for more than a month, later I asked him about it, but I turned it down for a Kannada film, especially since we never met, spoke or worked together.
Working for the first time with the KGF star, whose company Monster Mind Creation is also the producer of Ramayana, was an unforgettable experience for the Call Him Og actor. He recalls, “I have shot the most with Yash. We often see people in films and videos and create a picture of them, but when I met Yash, I felt he was one of the kindest people I had ever met.
It was great to see him transform into Ravana. He comes in the morning dressed casually, gets ready and comes out with that gorgeous beard. I told him I envied his beard because it looked so good and made him look so manly. Yash’s performance was also great to watch. Hindi is not our mother tongue, but the way he prepares his lines and sets the mood before a scene is impressive. These are the things I really admire about actors. I spent the most time with Yash, and we bonded over our lives and how we got to where we are today. Despite his height, he puts in the preparation. I have seen this with Ranbir Kapoor, who rehearses his lines and keeps practicing.”
But when Harish saw Yash transformed into Ravana in all his attire and splendor, did he get angry? “Before an actor delivers a line, the audience sees the character on screen and experiences its aura and energy. Watching Yash change from his normal clothes to Ravana is amazing in itself. The way he delivers his dialogues also adds to the character. Ravana is such a strong character that now I can’t feel anyone else playing him. I feel Yash straining for the role.
Everyone knows the myth The Ramayana And what happens, but director Nitesh Tiwari’s vision and presentation is likely to be one of a kind in contemporary Indian cinema. Ravana and Rama represent opposing forces, often seen as good versus evil. How does Harish see this contrast, especially from the perspective of Ravana’s brother, Vibhishana? The actor reflected, “I look at the character of Ravana differently, probably because I have three elder brothers. In the film, Ravana is Vibhishan’s brother, and Vibhishan’s situation is about choosing between his brother and religion. Until he comes to Lanka, he has not experienced that world. When he comes to Ravana, everything is different and Ravana looks different. Appreciation for his brother and whatever he has.” Yes, that admiration and closeness doesn’t disappear overnight.
Currently, Harish Uthman is looking forward to the rest of the shoot of Ramayana Part 2 and says that playing Vibhishan is a career-changing role for him as it is likely to open more doors for him in the Hindi film industry. And November 5, when I Ramayana Part 1 Excited on the release, the actor is going to watch the film in theaters for the first time like the rest of the world.