Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna has expressed strong reservations regarding the film Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor, questioning whether the cinematic adaptation has preserved the essence, emotions, and truth of the Hindu epic.Speaking to ANI, Khanna acknowledged the scale and efforts behind the production but emphasised that commercial success and high production costs should not come at the expense of the original narrative. He stated, “It doesn’t matter to me whether you’ve earned a thousand crores. What matters is whether you’ve concealed even a shred of the truth, or if you’ve introduced even a shred of falsehood. This isn’t just any ordinary story; it is the story of the Ramayana.”Khanna also questioned the necessity of a reportedly Rs 4,000-crore budget, arguing that the story’s emotional depth and narrative strength do not require such extravagance to appeal to contemporary audiences. “If the Rs 4,000-crore expenditure ends up overshadowing the story itself, then I would call it a waste of money. As I stated earlier, in the pursuit of grandeur, the essence, the emotions, have been sacrificed,” he remarked.Regarding performance, Khanna critiqued Ranbir Kapoor’s portrayal of Lord Rama, acknowledging Kapoor’s effort but suggesting his screen presence and speech did not fully embody the traditional characteristics of Lord Ram. He observed, “People don’t see you as Ram. At least I didn’t feel so. Ranbir Kapoor has done a good job. But it seems like Ranbir Kapoor is fighting in a Hindi film. Ram looks zero strong when compared with Ravan in the film. But when you are playing the role of Ram, you should look like Ram. You don’t look like Ram, and you are not speaking in Ram’s style. You are speaking in the style of a warrior.”Khanna highlighted actor Arun Govil’s portrayal of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar’s television series Ramayan, noting, “Ram was not a warrior. Ram was Maryada Purushottam. There was a calmness in his speech. Arun Govil caught it. He played Ramayana with a smile.” He also praised Govil’s role as King Dashrath in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, noting the actor delivered a strong performance.Khanna further called for reform in film certification processes for religious and mythological content. He criticised the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for lacking responsibility in regulating such films and urged the establishment of a dedicated committee of scholars to review scripts and creative decisions prior to production.He said, “I believe the Censor Board is not responsible enough to stop such films. A dedicated commission should be established. Anyone wishing to make a film based on historical or mythological subjects, whether it concerns the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, or even a figure like Lord Ganesha, must be required to have their project reviewed and approved by a committee of scholars.”Khanna expressed concern over potential inappropriate creative liberties, stressing that faith must not be treated lightly. “If such a committee exists, there would be no need for me to speak out, as they would ensure that inappropriate scenes, such as depicting Goddess Sita engaged in a fight, are never included. Matters of religion and faith are at stake here; one cannot simply toy with someone’s religion,” he added.Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana: Part 1 is the first instalment of a two-part cinematic adaptation of the ancient Indian epic. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, and Sunny Deol as Hanuman.
Mukesh Khanna questions Ranbir Kapoor’s portrayal in ‘Ramayana’ and calls for oversight committee
