Anurag Basu Praises Ranbir Kapoor For Nailing Lord Rama Look In Ramayana, Calls It Courageous: It Was Tough

Filmmaker Anurag Basu has strongly backed Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, saying the actor has shown rare courage and commitment. While the first teaser and look reveal of Ranbir as Rama drew mixed reactions from audiences, Basu believes Ranbir has “amazingly nailed it” and fully justified the risk.

The actor’s look as Lord Rama was formally unveiled on April 2 at a large event in Mumbai. Before this, a special preview of the appearance and teaser was held for a select audience in Los Angeles. Reaction since then has been sharply divided, with some viewers praising Ranbir’s presence and others calling the choice a misfit for the mythological role.

Ranbir Kapoor Ramayana Lord Rama casting wins strong support from Anurag Basu

Anurag Basu, who directed Ranbir Kapoor in Barfi! and Jagga Jasoos, said the final look matched personal expectations. Basu shared, "The way I had imagined Ranbir as Rama when he signed the film, and what I expected, was very good. I expected that this is how Ranbir would look, as he loves challenges. It was very tough, and you need a lot of courage to get into that character to play Ram."

Continuing his praise, Anurag Basu highlighted how risky such casting can be in the Hindi film industry. Basu added, "It takes a lot of courage for an actor to say yes, because people put actors in boxes in our industry. So, I think it is very courageous of him. And from whatever I've seen of the film and the images, he has amazingly nailed it. I'm looking forward to it."

Ranbir Kapoor Ramayana Lord Rama teaser, visuals and early audience response

The Ramayana teaser, released earlier this month, focuses heavily on Ranbir Kapoor’s dual shade as Lord Rama. The footage presents Rama as both warrior and calm, simple figure. It also offers large-scale views of Lanka and Ayodhya, along with sequences from Rama’s exile. Viewers have debated not only Ranbir’s look but also the film’s extensive VFX work.

Online discussion has especially centred on the depiction of asuras and digital landscapes in Ramayana. Some social media users felt the creatures and battles resemble visuals from The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Others argued that such scale is expected for a retelling with a reported budget of ₹4,000 crore, one of the largest for an Indian production.

Ranbir Kapoor Ramayana Lord Rama role, hesitation and family influence

At the Los Angeles screening, where the Ramayana teaser was first shown to a limited crowd, Ranbir Kapoor spoke about initial doubts. Ranbir shared that there was early hesitation to accept Lord Rama, as there was fear of not doing justice to such a revered figure. That concern eased after the birth of daughter Raha, which changed Ranbir’s outlook on the project.

Ramayana is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash. The ensemble cast includes Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Arun Govil as King Dashrath and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman. Planned as a two-part release, the first film is slated for Diwali 2026, followed by the second during Diwali 2027. With its scale, star line-up and long schedule, viewers await whether this adaptation becomes the definitive big-screen version of the epic.