Ramayana actor Chetan Hansraj slams 'keyboard superstars' for backlash to casting and VFX: 'Critics are in dreamland’

Actor Chetan Hansraj praised the team of Ramayana and shared his belief that Ranbir Kapoor’s portrayal of Lord Rama is exceptional.

Ever since the trailer of Ramayana was released on Thursday, there has been considerable discussion around the film's casting and VFX. While a section of social media has criticised both aspects, actor Chetan Hansraj, who plays the demon Mali in the Nitesh Tiwari film, has defended the film and its team.

Chetan Hansraj defends casting of Ramayana amid criticism.

Chetan Hansraj defends Ramayana

In an interview with Variety India, the actor revealed that everyone on the sets of Ramayana was soft-spoken and praised Yash for being gentle with the cast and crew. Chetan added that despite having worked in the industry for 47 years, the 20 days he spent shooting for Ramayana were the best 20 days of his entire career.

Several social media users have criticised Ranbir Kapoor's casting as Lord Rama, calling him a misfit. Reacting to the debate around the casting in Ramayana, Chetan said, "I think the casting is fabulous. Ranbir as Ram is fabulous. I really like the manner in which he has carried off his look. Sai Pallavi is also very nice. Everyone has their opinion, but Namit Malhotra, Nitesh Tiwari and the team have done a lot of research for the looks and characters, and finalised the cast after a lot of deliberation.”

Since the trailer was released, the film's VFX has also been dissected extensively online. Chetan described the critics as "keyboard VFX superstars" and said, "They are in dreamland. When you see Ramayana on the big screen, you will understand the scale. It is unfathomable. All these critics don't understand the scale."

About Ramayana trailer

The trailer opens with Yash as Ravana conquering Lanka, before introducing Ranbir Kapoor as Prince Ram, who fights demons alongside Lakshman (Ravi Dubey). After a promise made to Kaikeyi (Lara Dutta), Ram is sent into 14 years of vanvaas, with Sita (Sai Pallavi) choosing to accompany him. The trailer also teases the larger conflict between Ram and Ravana through grand action sequences and VFX, while Lord Hanuman remains absent.

Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari and backed by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana also stars Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey, Arun Govil, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh and Vivek Oberoi in key roles. The film will release in two parts, with the first part hitting the screens on Diwali 2026.