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AI imagines Sushant Singh Rajput as Lord Rama in Ramayana, internet calls it 'better than Ranbir Kapoor'

Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana films star Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, a casting that has received mixed response from fans.

Updated on: Apr 4, 2026, 11:27:48 IST
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The first glimpse of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana sparked discussions and debates on the internet and in living rooms across India. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, and the teaser gave the first official look at the actor in the film. Now, AI-generated images have imagined the late Sushant Singh Rajput in place of Ranbir as Lord Rama. And the internet is in agreement that it looks like an improvement.

AI-generated reimagination of Sushant Singh Rajput as Lord Rama.
AI-generated reimagination of Sushant Singh Rajput as Lord Rama.

Sushant Singh Rajput as Lord Rama

On Friday, a day after the Ramayana teaser was released, a Redditor shared a bunch of images featuring Sushant as Lord Rama on the platform with the title: ‘He would have been better’. The pictures show Sushant in two frames - one in Lord Rama’s regal attire in the Ayodhya court and the other during the vanvaas as he sits on a boat. Both frames are from the teaser and originally feature Ranbir Kapoor. The carousel also shared a screenshot of a Google search for Lord Rama, showing that he was described as having dark skin.

Posts from the exiledfrombollyblinds
community on Reddit

In the comments section, Redditors seemed to agree Sushant would have been a better choice than Ranbir. “He always had kind eyes and calming aura, I guess that's what Maryada Purushottam Lord Ram had, so yes, you are right, he would have fit like a glove,” read one comment. Another agreed and added, “100%. He has both calmness and fierceness in his face.” One commented, “He would have been the best Rama. The best. All those feelings when he died came back seeing this post. Hope he is at peace.”

A side-by-side comparison of Sushant Singh Rajput and Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama.
A side-by-side comparison of Sushant Singh Rajput and Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama.

However, many also disagreed with this casting, saying that even Sushant did not have the right skin tone. “I agree he would've been better, but the last slide defeats your argument considering Sushant wasn't dark brown either,” argued one.

Sushant Singh Rajput died in June 2020. The police investigation into his death ruled it a suicide. The popular actor from films and TV was 34.

About Ramayana

Ramayana is a two-part film mounted on a massive budget of 4000 crore, making it the most expensive Indian film ever made, and one of the costliest film productions worldwide. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakhsman. The Rama glimpse focused only on Lord Rama but also gave fleeting glimpses at other characters, including Lakshman and Sita. The teaser also showed Yash’s Ravana getting out his fabled flying machine, Pushpak Vimana, at the end.

Ramayana Part One is slated to release in theatres in October 2026, with the second part arriving in 2027.

  • Abhimanyu Mathur
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Abhimanyu Mathur

    Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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