Arun Govil explains why Ranbir Kapoor is ‘closest’ among young stars to play Lord Rama in Ramayana. Watch

Ranbir Kapoor will play Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. On his birthday, a BTS video was released, featuring Arun Govil praising Ranbir's portrayal.

Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor is all set to essay the role of Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. On the occasion of his birthday, the Ramayana team released a video offering a glimpse into the making of the much-awaited epic. In the video, Namit Malhotra, Nitesh and the cast spoke about Ranbir portraying Lord Rama, while the actor’s transformation into the character was also showcased. Arun Govil, who essayed the role of Lord Rama in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan and continues to be associated with the iconic portrayal, explained why he believes Ranbir was the perfect choice.

Arun Govil defends Ranbir Kapoor's casting as Lord Rama.

Arun Govil hails Ranbir Kapoor's casting in Ramayana

Talking about Ranbir Kapoor playing Lord Rama, Arun shared his views and said, "Jo main sochta tha ki Ram aise chalte honge, aise bethte honge, aise dekhte honge, baat karte honge, toh yeh cheezen hain unmein (What I had imagined—that Ram would walk like this, sit like this, look like this and speak like this—I can see all those qualities in him). Normally you don't expect that a star would come and touch your feet, but he always does that."

He further explained why he felt the casting was perfect, saying, "Among all the young stars who are available at the moment, Ranbir Kapoor is the closest to play Lord Rama."

Arun plays the role of Lord Rama’s father, King Dashrath, in Nitesh’s Ramayana. In the BTS video, Sai Pallavi, who essays the role of Sita in the film, also revealed that she was awestruck when she saw Ranbir transform into Lord Rama on set.

Since the first promotional material from the film was released, Ranbir has faced criticism from some sections, with many calling him a misfit for the role of Lord Rama. However, his cast members have repeatedly defended his casting, describing him as the "best we have in the industry". The actor will also essay a double role in the film, portraying Lord Rama and Lord Parshurama.

About Ramayana

Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is based on the ancient Sanskrit epic by Valmiki. Shridhar Raghavan co-wrote the screenplay with Nitesh. Backed by Namit Malhotra and Yash, the film boasts an ensemble cast including Ravie Dubey, Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol, Yash, Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan and Lara Dutta.

Mounted on a reported budget of ₹4,000 crore, the film is said to be one of the most ambitious and expensive projects to date. It will be released in two parts, with the first part hitting theatres on Diwali 2026 and the second on Diwali 2027.