Actor Nitish Bharadwaj withdraws praise for Ramayana Part 1 over character portrayal

Actor Nitish Bharadwaj has withdrawn his earlier praise for Ramayana Part 1 – The Rise of the Legend, stating that he is deeply disappointed with the film after watching it. Taking to Instagram, the actor shared a strongly worded note that questioned the movie's creative choices and its interpretation of the Hindu epic.

Character Portrayal

Nitish raised specific concerns about how the film depicts central characters, particularly the portrayal of Ravana by actor Yash. He argued that presenting Ravana as a liberal, socially just, and fair figure alters the moral framework of the epic and undermines the purpose of an avatar. The actor stated that Lord Ram's incarnation was meant to uphold Dharma, tradition, and Maryada, and he maintained that visual effects cannot replace the spiritual essence of the story.

Earlier Praise

This critique marks a major shift from Nitish's previous stance after the trailer release months ago, when he had praised the technical scale and predicted an Oscar for Best Foreign Film. At the time, he congratulated producer Namit Malhotra, director Nitesh Tiwari, and composer Hans Zimmer, while also expressing confidence in lead actor Ranbir Kapoor. The film, which also stars Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravie Dubey as Laxman, and Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, was released in cinemas on November 5.

Context

Public figures often share initial reactions to major film trailers based on visual scale before revising their opinions after seeing the complete narrative. Debates over the creative adaptation of mythological texts frequently spark discussions among artists and audiences regarding cultural representation.