Yash defends Ramayana's international canvas and style: 'We need to make it familiar to a Western audience'

Yash, who plays Ravana in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, spoke about the film's scale and style at the recently concluded CinemaCon.

As the promotions for Nitesh Tiwari's epic Ramayana begin, producer Namit Malhotra and star Yash travelled to Las Vegas to present the film at the CinemaCon. At the annual cinema exhibition for theatre owners and the industry, they presented Ramayana Part One to the West. On the sidelines, the two explained the film's vision and scale in various interviews.

Yash as Ravana with his Pushpaka Vimanam in a still from Ramayana.

Yash on Ravana in Ramayana

Ramayana is the latest adaptation of Valmiki's epic, one of the world's oldest pieces of literature. It tells the story of Lord Rama, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu (played by Ranbir Kapoor), and his battle against the asura king Ravana (Yash) after the latter abducts his wife, Sita (Sai Pallavi). The epic is one of the most familiar stories in the Indian subcontinent and is revered by Hindus as a sacred text.

Speaking to Reuters, Yash, who plays Ravana, explained how he has tried to bring nuance to the asura. “I have tried to internalise... the whole essence of Ravana and tried to make him as human as possible at times,” Yash said, adding that “it's important for people to relate to him.”

The film's first glimpse, called the Rama glimpse, was unveiled globally earlier this month. While many praised the visual effects and scale, some criticised the character designs, particularly those of the asuras, for looking too Western-inspired. While talking about Ravana and the asuras' depiction in the film, Yash added, “Since we have global ambitions, we need to make it familiar to a Western audience as well.”

Ramayana will be released in two parts, with a combined budget of up to $500 million, making it one of the most expensive film productions in the world and easily the most expensive Indian film by quite a distance.

Namit Malhotra calls Ramayana ‘the best of East and West’

Producer Namit Malhotra said the film would blend elements of fantasy and human drama, drawing on movies such as The Lord of the Rings and Gladiator. “It will promise a very different experience, unlike anything that traditional Indian movies offer or even Hollywood, for that matter. It's meant for the world, and it's got the best of the East and the best of the West coming together to make it happen,” he told Reuters.

Ramayan Part One will be released globally on November 8, coinciding with Diwali. The second will come out in 2027. The films also star Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.