Exclusive: Addinath Kothare on breaking the ice with Ranbir Kapoor, playing Lara Dutta’s son in Ramayana

Ranbir Kapoor, Addinath Kothare. Photo via Instagram

Getting cast in the epic Ramayana is no small feat, and for Addinath Kothare, the journey to playing Bharat came with a few surprising twists. From a failed audition for another project that ultimately earned him director Nitesh Tiwari's trust, to testing for Lakshman before landing his final role, Kothare's experience on the film has been nothing short of surreal. In an exclusive chat with mid-day, the actor opens up about sitting through a goosebump-inducing table read, working under Tiwari's vision and how Ranbir Kapoor stepped in on the first day of shoot to help him improvise a key shot.

Addinath's audition for Ramayana

Fresh off Nayyi Navelli, Addinath Kothare reveals that he shot for Ramayana almost two years ago and is excited to finally see it coming to life after a long wait. He shares, "The Ramayana is our divine history. It's lovely to be a part of that universe."

Recalling how he came on board for the magnum opus, the National Award winner says auditions can be a very tiring process. He says, "We test for a lot of things, and out of a hundred we get maybe three or four. But none of the auditions go wasted. I was shortlisted for the 2023 film Tarla, produced by Nitesh and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari. But the part went to my dear friend Sharib Hashmi, who was much more deserving. However, I ended up working with Ashwiny in System and auditioned for Lakshman in Ramayana but eventually got the part for Bharat."

Addinath plays the onscreen son of former Miss Universe Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi. He immediately puts a full stop when asked about their camaraderie on set, stating, "I cannot share right now," but mentions feeling overwhelmed at the table read with the entire cast. He says, "It dawned upon me, and I was blown away because it was one of the finest screenplays and storytelling I have heard about the Ramayana. We have grown up on this, and it has the same soul that is etched into our hearts."

On working with Ranbir Kapoor

Reminiscing a beautiful moment on set which was sort of an icebreaking between him and Ranbir Kapoor, Addinath reveals how the actor nudged him to improvise a scene that earned him praise from Tiwari. "It was my first day of shoot, and we had the Swayamvar sequence. It was a huge responsibility, so you don't know if there's room for improvising. I was having some thoughts. Ranbir tapped on my shoulder and said, 'Adi, why don't you do something like this?' It will work.' I did it, and Nitesh sir said it was nice, and I was like, ‘It was Ranbir's suggestion'," he says.

Ramayana is set to release on the big screens on November 5.