12 August,2026 04:01 PM IST | Mumbai | Aakruti Bagla
Nitish Sharma, Ranbir Kapoor (Pics/Instagram, X)
For newcomer Nitish Sharma, Ramayana has been a journey full of unexpected turns. After being replaced in a big film, he landed an audition for Lakshman in Nitesh Tiwari's epic. Impressed by his stint, he was selected to play Shatrughn in the movie. In an exclusive chat with mid-day, he opened up about working with Ranbir Kapoor and the criticism following the trailer.
Recalling how he landed a role in Ramayana, Nitish Sharma shared that his journey began after a heartbreaking setback in 2023. After hundreds of auditions and rejections, he had finally bagged a major role in a big film; however, he was replaced by a senior actor. While the rejection left him heartbroken, it paved the way for something better.
During that difficult phase, Nitish turned to the Ramcharitmanas for solace. "I was trying to find peace by reading the sacred book. When I was reading the Bharat Milap scene, I received a call from Mukesh Chhabra's office saying that Nitesh Tiwari was making a pilot film of Ramayana and they wanted to test me for Lakshman. So I did," he said.
Nitish then travelled to Mumbai for the audition. "There were only two scenes where Lakshman was the supporting character and Ram was performing. Later, Nitesh sir came to me and said, âDo one thing, you perform Ram.' He liked my performance and assured me that he would make me a part of the main film. And here it is," he said.
When asked why he wasn't cast as Lakshman despite auditioning, he revealed, "For the actual film, it was clear that in every character there would be big stars. And in such a big-scale movie, there are many things involved. But I have zero complaints about it." To note, Lakshman is now played by Ravie Dubey.
Ever since the Ramayana trailer was released, Ranbir Kapoor's casting as Lord Ram has been questioned by some sections of the audience. However, Nitish Sharma, who worked closely with the actor, believes all doubts will disappear once audiences watch the film.
While Nitish was already a fan of Ranbir as an actor, after working with him, he became a fan of person he is. Calling him extremely humble, Nitish recalled how warmly Ranbir greeted him during the script-reading session.
"Whenever we were shooting together, the way he gave all the cues to me, even when his scene was over, was amazing. He always gives his cues by himself to every actor, no matter if it is 10 times, 12 times or 15 times. He treats everyone with humility," he shared.
Nitish added that despite being the only newcomer on the film, he was treated warmly by everyone on set, including Ravie Dubey and Adinath Kothare. He also continues to address the senior actors as âBhaiya'.
Addressing the criticism around Ranbir's casting, Nitish said, "It is actually very sad that people judge someone by just one look. Ranbir is the greatest actor we have in this industry right now. After watching the movie, I am telling you, they will praise Ranbir as Ram. No one could have done it better than RK."
He added, "He has given whatever he had to this character. He changed himself completely, not just on the set, but in real life too. He has that calmness, aura, and positivity around him."
Apart from Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi's casting as Sita has also faced criticism, with some questioning her chemistry with Ranbir, her look, attires and accent. However, Nitish Sharma strongly defended the actor and believes she is the perfect choice for the role.
"Sai, she looks divine in real life. She is the best casting for Sita. There are many trolls about her as well. But that is how a 99 per cent Indian beauty looks like," he said.
Nitish is also confident that Ramayana will leave a lasting impact on audiences. "I am very sure that Ramayana will create magic once again, just like it did in 1987 with Ramanand Sagar," he concluded.
