17 August,2026 06:25 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sunny Deol. Pic via X
Stepping into the shoes of Hanuman is no small feat, especially when your predecessor is Dara Singh, whose portrayal of the mighty devotee in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan remains etched in the minds of generations. Sunny Deol, who takes on the iconic role in Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming Ramayana, knows exactly how big those shoes are. And rather than making lofty predictions about the film, the actor is choosing to let the work speak for itself.
In a conversation with Shubhankar Mishra, Sunny was asked if Ramayana, which stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, could "change Indian cinema". The actor admitted that he has not watched the complete film yet, having only seen the trailer. However, what he has seen has left him impressed.
"Look, I am not the type of person to make predictions about things," Sunny said, making it clear that he would rather not predict the film's impact. He added, "I've only seen the trailer... the special effects were of a very high calibre."
The actor also placed his faith in director Nitesh Tiwari, calling him "very talented and very good". Sunny hopes that despite the film's mammoth scale and visual effects, the storytelling remains simple and accessible.
"We're all good actors everywhere, so, according to me, from the creative side, he's got everything going for it," he said.
But naturally, the biggest conversation around Sunny's casting is the legacy he is inheriting. Dara Singh's Hanuman became a cultural touchstone after Ramayan premiered in 1987, making any new interpretation a tricky balancing act.
Sunny is well aware of the comparison and was refreshingly candid about it. "Last time it was Dara-ji; now it's me, I don't know how far I'll go," he said.
The actor went a step further, acknowledging the lasting impact of Dara Singh's portrayal: "Dara ji is irreplaceable as Hanuman ji."
Interestingly, Sunny revealed that his own work on the film is still far from complete. At the trailer launch in July, he said, "To tell you the truth, I have done only a little work on the film so far. I still have a long way to go."
He also thanked the makers for trusting him with the role and promised to make every effort to portray Hanuman respectfully. For Sunny, the character cannot simply be about bulging muscles and battlefield might. Hanuman, he explained, represents "immense strength and humility, courage and innocence, force and devotion."
With Sunny absent from the trailer, the anticipation around his Hanuman has only intensified. And if reports about his larger role in Ramayana Part 2 are anything to go by, audiences may have to wait a little longer to see his full transformation.
