Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna has shared his thoughts on Nitesh Tiwari’s much-awaited ‘Ramayana: Part 1’, which features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Yash as Ravana. Known for his iconic portrayal of Bhishma Pitamah, Khanna admitted that he was curious to watch the film’s trailer but ultimately chose not to view it after learning about its extensive use of visual effects. He also voiced concerns about the prominence of Ravana in the film and questioned Ranbir’s casting as Lord Ram following his appearance in ‘Animal’.
Why Mukesh Khanna chose not to watch the ‘Ramayana ‘ trailer
In an interview with The Free Press Journal, Mukesh Khanna revealed that he initially wanted to watch the trailer but changed his mind after hearing about the film’s heavy reliance on visual effects.“I wanted to see the trailer, but there are so many special effects in it that I didn’t watch it,” he said.Khanna also expressed concern about the balance between Ram and Ravana in the narrative. Suggesting that giving Ravana more prominence than Lord Ram could upset devotees, he said, “Ramayana mein Ram se zyada Ravana dikhega toh aastha ko chot pahunchegi (If Ravana is shown more than Ram in the Ramayana, it will hurt the sentiments of devotees).”
Mukesh Khanna says Yash ‘s Ravana performance depends on the writing
Khanna also reflected on his own performance as Bhishma Pitamah and attributed much of the character’s impact to the writing and dialogues rather than simply his acting abilities. Drawing a parallel with Yash’s casting as Ravana, he said:“Maine Bhishma Pitamah mein accha kaam nahi kiya hai ki Mukesh Khanna accha actor hai, isliye kyunki Dr. Rahi Masoom Sahab ne merko chandi ki thaali mein dialogue bhar-bhar ke diya. Yash Ravana ke role mein accha laga hoga kyunki usko Ravana ka role diya hoga, badaya hoga (I didn’t do a great job in Bhishma Pitamah just because Mukesh Khanna is a good actor. It’s because Dr. Rahi Masoom Sahab gave me such powerful dialogues, almost like filling a silver platter and handing them to me. Yash must have looked good in the role of Ravana because he was given the role of Ravana, and the character was elevated).”The veteran actor made a similar observation about Akshaye Khanna’s performance in ‘Dhurandhar’, crediting the director and the material for allowing the actor to stand out.“Dhurandhar mein Akshaye Khanna itna acha, not because he is a good actor. If he was a good actor only, uski pichle 10 filmein bhi chalni chahiye thi. But isme kyu dikha? Director ka kamaal hai. Usko scenes diye hue hain (Similarly, Akshaye Khanna was so good in Dhurandhar—not simply because he is a good actor. If being a good actor alone was enough, his last 10 films should have worked too. But why did he stand out in this one? That’s the director’s brilliance. He was given the right scenes).”
Mukesh Khanna reacts to Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Ram
Khanna also addressed the debate surrounding Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Ram, particularly in the wake of the actor’s portrayal in ‘Animal’. He expressed hope that Ranbir would completely distance himself from the image associated with that character while playing the revered mythological figure.“Ranbir Kapoor ki image bann gayi thi ‘Animal’ ke baad mein. I hope Ranbir ki woh image leke na aaye; woh galat image to the kids tha. Mein uspe (Animal) bhi bhadak gaya tha (Ranbir Kapoor had developed a certain image after Animal. I hope he doesn’t bring that image into this film. That was the wrong image for kids. I was upset about Animal too),” he said.
About ‘Ramayana: Part 1’
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. The ensemble cast also includes Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan and Lara Dutta.The film marks Yash’s Hindi film debut and is being mounted as a large-scale adaptation of the Indian epic. ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ is scheduled to release worldwide on November 6, 2026.