Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram doesn't impress Ramanand Sagar's grandson: 'It's better to take a new face'

A still from Ramayana trailer

Actor Ranbir Kapoor's casting as Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwari's much-anticipated Ramayana has once again triggered discussion, with Shiv Sagar, grandson of filmmaker Ramanand Sagar, sharing his take on the choice. Ramanand Sagar made the 1987 Doordarshan show Ramayan, and Shiv believes that Lord Ram's role demands an actor without a strong recall value from previous films.

Ramanand Sagar's grandson raises concerns over Ramayana casting

In a recent interview, Shiv said that he cannot accept Ranbir as Lord Ram since the actor has previously starred in films like Animal. "Except for that one casting, I like the rest of the casting very much. Personally, I cannot accept Ranbir Kapoor as Ram because after Animal, I cannot accept him as Ram. When I look at Ram ji, I feel that a fresh face should have been taken," he said, as reported by ANI.

"It's better to take a new face"

Shiv further explained, "We have seen Ranbir in different roles; he is a very good actor. Personally, I don't have anything against him. I think they must have taken him for the project because they want a marketing push, and maybe if they didn't take Ranbir, the film wouldn't have been marketed so well, so that's also something to think about, but I personally believe that for such characters, it's better to take a new face."

Let us tell you that this is not the first time Shiv Sagar has talked about Ranbir Kapoor's casting in Ramayana. In a previous interview with Bollywood Hungama, Shiva desired for the audiences to accept Ranbir in the role of Lord Ram.

"I quite liked it, to be honest. In the earlier promotional asset, I felt that the quality of the graphics did not match the scale of the budget. However, after watching the trailer and seeing the ensemble cast, I am impressed. I thought Yash looked brilliant as Ravana. Sai Pallavi, too, suits the character of Sita, especially in the way she speaks and articulates herself. Overall, I think it looks very grand," he said.

About Ramayana

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana will be released in two instalments, on Diwali 2026 and Diwali 2027. While Ranbir Kapoor is essaying the role of Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi will be seen portraying Sita, and Yash will be seen as Ravan in the grand mythological saga.