Exclusive First Look: Ajinkya Deo on Playing Sage Vishwamitra in ‘Ramayana’: ‘I Believe I Was Chosen’

As anticipation builds around Nitesh Tiwari’s “Ramayana,” Variety India can exclusively reveal the first look of actor Ajinkya Deo as Sage Vishwamitra, one of the epic’s most influential figures whose guidance shapes Lord Ram’s journey. Speaking to Variety India, Deo described portraying the revered sage as an experience that felt less like taking on a role and more like fulfilling a calling.

“I believe that I was chosen to play Vishwamitra,” Deo says. “In ‘Ramayana,’ the characters are chosen by the Lord himself. That is my belief.” For the actor, the transformation began the moment he stepped into Vishwamitra’s robes and intricate prosthetic makeup.

“When I was adorned with the attire of the sage, it involved very intricate makeup. Rather than me trying to adopt Vishwamitra, I felt it was almost as if Sage Vishwamitra had approved of my existence as him,” he says. “The kind of feedback I received from people on set was, ‘Wow, you look perfect. You look like you were made for this role.’”

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Despite portraying a figure revered across generations, Deo says director Nitesh Tiwari encouraged him to resist the temptation to amplify the performance. “I have to give the credit to Nitesh Tiwari. He did not let me go overboard or try to make the character larger than life because Vishwamitra is already that. The look itself was extremely strong and Nitesh ensured the performance remained truthful.”

In the “Ramayana,” Sage Vishwamitra is the catalyst for Lord Ram’s journey. It is the sage who takes Ram and Lakshman from Ayodhya to protect his sacred yajna, introduces the young prince to divine weapons and leads him to Mithila, where Ram first encounters Sita — setting in motion many of the defining events of the epic.

Produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios in association with Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, “Ramayana” stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. Deo’s Vishwamitra is among the film’s key supporting characters, and Variety India’s exclusive first-look image offers audiences their clearest look yet at the actor’s transformation into the revered sage.