‘Sita with curly hair not mentioned in Ramayana’: Deepika Chikhalia on Sai Pallavi casting

‘Our Ramayan will weigh very heavily on the film’

Deepika also spoke about Arun Govil, who portrayed Lord Ram opposite her in the television series and is now playing King Dashrath in Nitesh Tiwari’s film.

Talking about the enduring impact of the original show, she said, “We’re known for what we are. I’m known as Sita. Sometimes, people forget my name, but they remember that I played Sita. So, that’s my identity. I don’t know why anybody would want to lose that. Of course, as an actor, you want to play different roles. Nobody wants to get typecast.”

She added, “I think our Ramayan will weigh very heavily on the Ramayana film. Our Ramayan was also watched by the new generation when it aired on Doordarshan during the pandemic. So, it’s very difficult to erase that. Sitaji with curly hair is not mentioned in Ramayan.”

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Deepika says she struggled to find work after Ramayan

Deepika also opened up about the downside of becoming synonymous with Sita, saying the immense popularity of the role affected her career opportunities.

“I didn’t get any work. In fact, I’m asking people for work even now. Ranbir has acted in Barfi, Sanju and Animal, and now he is playing Lord Rama. That’s the beauty of today’s time. It wasn’t like that during our days. We all got typecast. It’s still very tough to get work because people can’t see me as anyone else. That’s why I got into production.”

‘Erasing the old Ramayan will be very difficult’

Sharing her thoughts on Yash portraying Ravana, Deepika said she is confident about the actor’s abilities but believes audiences still have a strong emotional connection with Ramanand Sagar’s adaptation.

“I’ve seen a little bit of Yash’s work. I’m sure he’ll be dynamic. But the thing is that erasing the old Ramayan will be very difficult. Also, it’s very recent. Had the film come out 50 years later, people would have forgotten Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan and the cast. Right now, it’s still very fresh in their minds.”

Her message to Nitesh Tiwari

Offering her best wishes to the team behind Ramayana, Deepika said, “All these are talented people. I’m sure it will be a film people want to watch at least once. The crux of Ramayan was that every actor who played that character fit the bill. That, along with Ravindra Jain’s music, was the reason behind the success of Ramayan.”

About Ramayana

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is envisioned as a two-part cinematic adaptation of Valmiki’s epic. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, alongside Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Rakul Preet Singh, Kunal Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Arun Govil, Sheeba Chaddha and Adinath Kothare.

Backed by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios in association with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, the ambitious project is reportedly mounted on a budget of Rs 4,000 crore and brings together an acclaimed international crew. The film features music by Oscar winners Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman, marking their first collaboration on an Indian film. Pankaj Kumar serves as the cinematographer, while Mad Max action director Guy Norris has designed the action sequences. The screenplay has been written by Nitesh Tiwari and Shridhar Raghavan.

Ramayana: Part 1 is slated to release in theatres during Diwali 2026, followed by the second instalment on Diwali 2027.