Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana’ trailer is all anyone is talking about on social media today. After keeping fans waiting for months on end, producer Namit Malhotra finally released the first official trailer online on July 30, at 4.15 am IST. Fans waking up to the trailer launch had only praise for the epic starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita.Amid the chatter around the visual spectacle, stunning characters, mythical beasts and demons brought to life, eagle-eyed fans spotted another familiar face in the four-minute clip. Vivek Oberoi, whose brief appearance as Vidyutjihva has sparked excitement across social media.
Vivek Oberoi debuts as Vidyutjihva
Although his role wasn’t highlighted in the trailer’s promotional campaign, fans were quick to identify the actor in one of the film’s battle sequences.Vivek plays Vidyutjivha, the demon prince and husband of Shurpanakha, played by Rakul Preet Singh. Looking unrecognisable with his beard and moustache, complete with battle armour and headgear, his character is said to be pivotal in the unfolding of the Ramayana saga and Ravana’s rise to power.
Fans react to Vivek Oberoi’s spotting in ‘Ramayana’ trailer
One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “I completely missed that Vivek Oberoi is also in the movie. He’s playing Vidyutjivha.”
Vivek Oberoi and Yash’s fight scene goes viral
Another commented, “EXCITED!!! #Ramayana to Explore Darkside of Ravana. How he brutally Killed Surpanakha’s Husband, How he Conquered Swargloka.” His appearance seems to indicate that the film will be delving deeper into Ravana’s backstory rather than simply retelling the familiar events of the Ramayana.Others expressed excitement over what appears to be an impressive fight to the death between Ravana and Vidyutjivha.
Vivek Oberoi donates ‘Ramayana’ salary
Beyond his appearance in the film, Vivek Oberoi has also been making headlines for revealing that he chose not to accept any remuneration for his role in the film. Speaking to Hindustan Times, the actor shared that he requested producer Namit Malhotra to donate his salary instead. “I told Namit that I don’t want a penny for this. I want to donate it to any sort of cause that I believe in, which is kids with cancer. I told him I want to support you because I just love what you’re doing and I think that this will take Indian cinema on the global stage with a bang,” Vivek said.The actor also spoke about the scale and vision behind the ambitious mythological epic, saying the team approached the story as history rather than mythology. “There is always the battle between whether Ramayana is mythological or historical. We believe it is historical, and it was great working on it. I was so happy and it was a lot of fun working with the whole crew, Namit, Nitesh, Yash and Rakul. I still have a couple of days of shoot left,” he added.Alongside Ranbir as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, the film boasts an ensemble cast that includes Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshmana.