Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Alia Bhatt as Sita: Ahead of Adipurush release, here’s who is likely to be cast in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayan

The fate of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana adaptation depends on the vital casting of Raavan, which will finally get the film moving from pre-visualisation stage to on floors.

By: Entertainment Desk

Mumbai | June 15, 2023 02:46 PM IST

Prabhas led Adipurush is set to release on June 16. (Photo: screengrab, Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

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If everything falls in place there could be more of Ramayana on the big screen, soon. One of the biggest adaptations of the epic, Adipurush, is gearing up to release this Friday. The Om Raut directorial is billed as one the most expensive projects in the country and stars Prabhas as Lord Ram, Kriti Sanon as Sita while Saif Ali Khan essays the role of Lankesh.

While Adipurush, backed by T-Series, is finally releasing on June 16 after a delayed release– there is another adaptation of Ramayana in the works, created by filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari. For the longest, Tiwari and producer Madhu Mantena have been trying to mount the big screen epic, but the project has faced one hurdle or the other.

In fact, till about last month, industry insiders were convinced that the film has been put on the back burner, but recent casting developments have brought it back to discussion in a major way. Sources indianexpress.com spoke to shared that actor Ranbir Kapoor was always locked to play Lord Ram and has been the one to stick through all its casting changes.

Also Read | Kangana Ranaut takes an indirect dig at reports claiming Ranbir Kapoor will play Ram in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, calls him ‘skinny white rat’

While Deepika Padukone was initially rumoured to be attached to the project, later, actor Sai Pallavi was reportedly onboard to play Sita. However, things changed last week when it was revealed that Alia Bhatt was more or less locked to play the role.

According to multiple sources indianexpress.com spoke to, casting for Raavan has been the toughest for the makers as not many stars are keen to take on the role which could be a “risk” in today’s climate. The hunt for Raavan had previously closed on actor Hrithik Roshan, who sources shared was keen to star on the project. But when things didn’t fall in place with the Vikram Vedha star, the project was put on the backburner again.

Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana was back on track–at least publicly, finally–after Ranbir and Alia were spotted at the producer’s office last week. While the actor-couple is on board to star as Lord Ram and Sita, sources informed KGF star Yash is in talks to play Raavan.

Yash, who has not yet announced his next after the blockbuster KGF: Chapter 2, has been approached by the makers. The actor has reportedly shown interest and was even in advance talks, but there is no clarity if he will come on board, even as rumours indicate he is likely to turn down the part.

The fate of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana adaptation depends on the vital casting of Raavan, which will finally get the film moving from pre-visualisation stage to on floors. While Adipurush’s fate now depends at the box office, as industry insiders keenly await to see if it manages to surpass the expectations and justify its humongous budget.

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