Ramayana scholar and author Ami Ganatra doesn’t think Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor is the right person to portray Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, noting a sharp contrast between his appearance and the deity’s physical attributes as detailed in the Valmiki Ramayana.
Speaking on the Supertalks podcast, Ganatra, who is known for examining Sanskrit epics and Hindu shastras through textual research to present narratives to modern audiences, acknowledged Kapoor’s efforts but maintained that the film’s visual interpretation diverges from traditional accounts.
Drawing directly from the ancient Sanskrit epic, Ganatra explained that is historically described as having an imposing, powerful physique, rather than a softer, conventionally youthful look.
“I think Ranbir has tried his best, no doubt,” Ganatra said. “But, as I keep saying, the physical description of Shri Ram in the Valmiki Ramayana is somewhat different. He is described as a powerful, muscular figure, with broad shoulders like a lion and a well-developed chest.”
She pointed to specific Sanskrit terms used in the text to build this physical image, including gudha-jatru, which denotes a well-formed chest and collarbone region, and ajanubahu, which refers to arms extending down to the knees.
Emphasising the immense physical strength required to lift Lord Ram’s famously heavy bow, she added, “He is not chocolaty. He is very macho and very muscular because he is extremely strong.”
During the conversation, Ganatra was also asked about veteran actor , who famously played Lord Ram in the widely remembered television adaptation of the epic.
She noted that Govil appeared well-suited to the character, adding that viewers familiar with the older series still strongly associate Govil’s signature smile with their established image of Lord Ram.
Delving further into the original text of the Valmiki Ramayana, the scholar said Lord Ram was approximately 15 to 16 years old at the time of his marriage to Sita.
Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, is mounted as a massive two-part cinematic event.
Ramayana Part 1 has 14 more days to release. The film sets high expectations with a ₹4,000 crore budget.
Alongside Ranbir Kapoor, the film boasts a star-studded ensemble featuring Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, as Lakshman, and Sunny Deol as Hanuman.
Bridging the gap between the classic TV show and the modern film, Arun Govil will also appear in the project as King Dasharatha.
Ramayana: Part 1 is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on 5 November 2026.
Ramayana has grossed ₹7.85 crore in its first 24 hours of advance booking, including block seats, ahead of its worldwide release on November 5. The film opened advance bookings on 22 October.
It has recorded sales of ₹5.86 crore, excluding block seats, with advance bookings of 1.39 lakh tickets sold across 3,835 shows in the domestic market as of 11 PM IST on October 22.
Of the total, ₹80.73 lakh was generated after the 6 AM cut-off.
