Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is one of the most-awaited films of the year. The promotional material released so far has received mixed reactions, with some viewers criticising Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Rama. Now, Mukesh Khanna has also criticised the portrayal of Lord Rama in the film, saying that the character has been presented more as a man of action than as Maryada Purushottam.
Mukesh Khanna slams Ramayana
In a conversation with Bollywood Now on its YouTube channel, Mukesh spoke about what bothered him after watching the Ramayana trailer. He criticised the film’s portrayal of Sri Ram, saying that the character had been turned into “Dhurandhar”. He acknowledged Shri Ram as a powerful divine figure and an avatar of God, but said the fight sequence shown in the film was not in keeping with his depiction in the Ramayan. He specifically objected to the scene showing Shri Ram climbing a tree and shooting arrows, noting that such a sequence has not been seen in the Ramayana
He added, “Aapne unko Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth bana diya hai. Nahi sahab, Ram Ram hai. Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram. Woh smile karte the, even Samudra ko bhi haath jodkar kehte the, hatt jao mujhe aage jaana hai (You have turned him into Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth. No, sir, Ram is Ram — Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram. He used to smile and would even fold his hands before the ocean, saying, ‘Move aside, I need to go ahead’.)”
Mukesh further said, “If you portray Shri Ram more as a man of action than as Maryada Purushottam, and turn him into Clint Eastwood, I might feel that Lord Ram did not fight like this. If he fought this way, then why would he have needed the help of the Vanar Sena?”
The Shaktimaan actor also expressed his concerns about the film’s VFX. He said that while heavy use of special effects might help a film perform internationally, Indian audiences would view it through the lens of their faith and cultural understanding of Lord Ram. He said, “They would compare it with Star Wars aur shayad kama legi. Lekin India mein India ki aastha ke hisaab se honi chahiye. Hum special effects nahi dekhenge (It may do well commercially. But in India, it should be made keeping Indian faith and beliefs in mind. We will not be looking at the special effects).”
About Ramayana
Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari and backed by Namit Malhotra and Yash, the mythological epic stars Ranbir Kapoor in dual roles as Lord Rama and Lord Parshurama. The film also stars Sunny Deol, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Ravie Dubey, Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi and others in key roles.
Mounted on a reported budget of ₹4,000 crore, the film will release in two parts, with the first part arriving in theatres on Diwali 2026 and the second on Diwali 2027.