Anupam Kher explains why Yash's Ravana appears stronger than Ranbir Kapoor's Ram in Ramayana, says makers needed to establish the villain | Bollywood

Anupam Kher, who lent his voice to Jatayu in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, recently spoke about the depiction of Ranbir Kapoor's Ram and Yash's Ravana in the film. When asked why some viewers found Ravana's sequences more engaging than those featuring Ram, the actor said that director Nitesh Tiwari needed to establish the villain in Part 1 of the film so that the eventual triumph of good over evil in the second part would have a greater impact.

Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Yash as Ravana.‘Nitesh needed to establish the villain’He told The Hollywood Reporter India, "I believe Nitesh knew from the beginning that he was making the film in two parts. It wasn’t an accidental decision. He needed to establish the villain as someone much bigger, so that the triumph of good over evil in the second part would feel much larger. Once you establish the villain, you understand the scale of what has to be overcome. From Sholay to Karma, Hindi films always establish how frightening and powerful the villain is. So when the hero finally defeats him, you feel a high. I think that’s the strategy here."

Anupam also disagreed with the suggestion that Ravana was more interesting than Ram in the film. He explained that Ravana's larger-than-life portrayal worked because of the character of Ram and the journey that would unfold in the remaining story.

He said, "No, I don’t think so. Instead, I think Ravana is interesting because Ram is interesting. Ravana feels larger than life and dramatic, but Ram is different. Ram shows himself through various sequences that will come in the rest of the story. He will kill Vali, he will confront Meghnad. We’re too impatient to understand the whole thing at once. In this part, when you see the scene between Jatayu and Ram, and watch Ram break down, that's when people are moved by his humanity. Nobody knows this film better than Namit Malhotra and Nitesh Tiwari. There are people who spend their life criticising things. There are cynics, and then there are people who actually do things."

During the same interaction, Anupam also opened up about his experience of dubbing for Jatayu. He revealed that the film's producer, Namit Malhotra, had approached him for the role. The actor recalled postponing his dubbing session by a day after the makers showed him a nine-minute clip from the film. He was so overwhelmed by what he saw that he felt he wasn't prepared to record his lines immediately. Anupam further revealed that he spent around five to six hours dubbing just 10-12 lines of dialogue for Jatayu.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotraand Yash, Ramayana features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The first part of the film was released on November 5, while the second part is expected to arrive in 2028.

Vibha Maru is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Entertainment, based in Delhi. With a decade of experience across digital and print media, she covers Bollywood, Hollywood and web shows. A self-confessed cinephile who breathes Hindi cinema, Vibha can often be found sacrificing sleep after binge-watching films and web series. Though she holds a Commerce degree, she discovered her true calling in journalism after enrolling at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). She began her career covering Delhi's cultural scene, food, nightlife, concerts, and city life at The Times of India, before moving into full-time entertainment journalism with India Today. At India Today, Vibha interviewed some of the biggest names in Bollywood and television while carving a niche for herself through film reviews, opinion pieces, nostalgic features, celebrity interviews, and trend-driven stories. She later brought her storytelling and editorial expertise to The Indian Express, where she continued to deepen her understanding of cinema through long-form entertainment explainers, retrospectives and feature writing. Now, as Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times Entertainment, Vibha continues to chronicle the world of movies and pop culture. Her work spans breaking entertainment news, exclusive interviews, celebrity features, and stories that capture the conversations shaping Indian cinema.Read More