Yash says playing Ravana in Ramayana came with 'extra pressure' of comparisons: 'If people already have some image...'

Yash plays Ravana in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, which also stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Ravie Dubey as Lakhsman.

The promotional campaign for Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious adaptation of the Ramayana began in the US over the weekend as the film’s makers and stars graced the San Diego Comic Con, first for a panel discussion and then some select interviews. During the interactions, Yash, who plays Ravana in the film, spoke about taking on a role that has been made memorable by countless actors over the years.

Yash admits to ‘pressure’ while playing Ravana

In Ramayana, Yash (L) plays Ravana, a role immortalised by Arvind Trivedi (R) on TV in the 80s.

On the sidelines of the Comic Con, Yash joined co-actor Ranbir Kapoor, director Nitesh Tiwari, and producer Namit Malhotra in a chat on the film with IGN. There, he spoke about playing Ravana on the big screen. “As a kid, we have all heard this story. (It's) probably the first story I have heard. My grandfather used to tell me these stories. You have your imagination and you have seen so many people depicted this in many ways. So what do you bring in as an actor and what is your understanding of the character was challenging. Thankfully, my director and writers have given me that space, so I could play this character in a different way,” he said.

Ramayana is one of the oldest and most enduring epics in the world. In India, the story has been adapted into films, TV shows, and musicals hundreds of times. Some of the most memorable portrayals of Ramayana on the screen have come from Telugu cine icon NT Rama Rao in the 60s and TV thespian Arvin Trivedi in the 1988 TV show.

Ramayana trailer postponed

The Ramayana team’s appearance at the San Diego Comic Con was set to culminate with the global launch of its trailer on Friday morning. However, producer Namit Malhotra announced that it was postponed indefinitely as the film bagged a deal with Sony for the film’s international distribution. He wrote on social media, “Today is a very special moment for our "Ramayana", my dream of taking ramayana to the world is now a reality with our partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment. In light of the above we will be launching our trailer now globally at a later date.”

All about Ramayana

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is a two-part epic with the first part releasing in theatres this November. Apart from Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Yash as Ravana, the film also stars Sai Pallavi as Sita, along with Ravie Dubey, Sunny Deol, Rakul Preet Singh, Lara Dutta, Arun Govil, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, and a large ensemble cast. Ramayana Part One will release in theatres in November.