‘Being Cast As Sugriva in ‘Ramayana: Part Two’ is an Honor, But It Comes With Greater Responsibility,’ says Suhail Nayyar (EXCLUSIVE)

For Suhail Nayyar, it was a previous performance that led him to one of his biggest roles yet — Vanar Raj Sugriva in filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari’s “Ramayana.” The actor, who was first noticed for playing Shahid Kapoor’s cousin, Tommy, in “Udta Punjab,” speaks to Variety India about landing the coveted gigs in the Indian film industry right now, and how a previous performance convinced Tiwari he would be perfect for it.

The actor, known for “Single Papa,” “Jee Karda” and “Saare Jahan Se Achha,” says, “I got a call from Mukesh (Chhabra) sir for the part, and I’ll always be indebted to him for giving me the honor of playing Vanar Raj Sugriva. On my first day on set, Nitesh (Tiwari) sir told me that he had loved my performance in ‘Saare Jahan Se Achha’ and that was one of the reasons he saw me as Sugriva in ‘Ramayana: Part Two’. That was incredibly reassuring to hear.”

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The epic Indian film, produced by Namit Malhotra and slated to release across 50,000 international screens through a distribution deal with Sony Pictures, is one of the most anticipated films of the year. Nayyar, who plays Vanar Raj Sugriva in the second part, is thrilled to be a part of this magnum opus.

Speaking about the responsibility that comes with playing a character like this, Nayyar says, “I genuinely believe some parts come to you through something larger than yourself. When a character has lived in people’s consciousness for generations, you don’t take that lightly. It feels like an honor, but it also comes with a greater responsibility. There’s very little I can reveal about the film or the character right now. All I can say is that I understand the responsibility I’ve been given, and I’m going to do everything I can to do justice to it.”

Suhail Nayyar has an interesting lineup of upcoming projects. “There’s ‘Udta Teer’, ‘Single Papa’ Season 2, ‘Ramayana: Part Two’, and Vir Das’s ‘Baara Number.’  They’re all very different from each other, which is what excites me the most. I’ve always wanted to move between different worlds rather than be confined to one kind of part. It feels like a very exciting phase for me as an actor,” Nayyar signs off.