Jul 24, 2026 11:11am IST
Yash Lauds Ranbir Kapoor At San Diego Comic-Con, Says He’s Done A Marvellous Job As Lord Rama in ‘Ramayana’
The halls of San Diego Comic-Con were buzzing when the team behind Nitesh Tiwari's magnum opus took the stage to pull back the curtain on their epic retelling of the ancient legend. While producer Namit Malhotra announced that the film's trailer launch had been postponed, the star-studded panel offered fans something even better, a raw and fascinating look into how Bollywood's finest and Hollywood's royalty are bringing this timeless tale to life.
Stepping into the sandals of one of mythology's most revered figures is no walk in the park, and lead actor Ranbir Kapoor was the first to admit the sheer gravity of portraying Lord Rama. Opening up about his initial reaction to the role, Kapoor shared, "I remember when the film was first offered to me, there was so much of fear, so much of doubt. ‘Will I be able to do this, am I capable enough?’ But I think that doubt changed into gratitude very early on. I think it was a blessing, an opportunity of a lifetime, and a moral responsibility. The Ramayana is ingrained in our subconscious. Lord Rama is the conscience keeper of millions of people around the world for generations, for more than 4000 years. He is somebody who embodies the triumph of the human spirit in times of adversities. He stands for courage, compassion, forgiveness, righteousness, and just to have the opportunity to represent that is very daunting."
The actor reflected on the internal shift required to step on set each day, realizing that taking on such a monumental icon demands absolute authenticity. "Very early on, I understood that it just requires lot of faith, a lot of belief, a lot of truthfulness, and noble intentions. Our entire cast and crew had one noble intention, and that is to tell the story as authentically as we can," he explained. Beyond the spiritual weight of the project, Kapoor also revealed a personal milestone tied to the release, sharing during a fan Q&A that his daughter Raha Kapoor was at the heart of his excitement. "I’m very excited to take my daughter to the film. It is going to be her first film on the big screen," he beamed.
Related Stories
Across the legendary divide stands Kannada superstar Yash, who takes on the formidable role of Ravana. He had nothing but praise for his on-screen rival's dedication. "Nobody in this world can come and say, ‘I have the virtue to play Lord Rama’. The fact that he (Ranbir) said the same says it all. He is a fabulous actor. It’s not easy to play Lord Rama and the way he has really worked, huge respect to him," Yash noted. He further highlighted Kapoor's physical and mental commitment, adding, "He has worked very hard on his fitness. When you see Ramayana, you will see a beautiful Rama with great intent and great sacrifice he has done."
When it came to crafting his own iconic villain, Yash revealed that he wanted to delve deep beneath the larger-than-life demon king persona to uncover a complex human being. "I think this is a character which is so popular. Imagine after thousands of years they still burn your effigy every year. My grandfather used to tell me these stories when I was a kid, so those images were always there. But as we really understand the story, the greatest villains are the ones who genuinely believe they are right. They are smart, intelligent, talented and that makes them dangerous. That’s what made Ravana such an interesting character to play," he mused.
To make Ravana resonate with global audiences, Yash focused on character nuance over simple theatricality. "So many people have played this character in different ways. I wanted to make him relatable. Even though he’s larger than life, people shouldn’t feel he’s just a character. They should feel, ‘I could have been that guy in this situation.’ That was my preparation," he shared. He emphasized that getting into Ravana's headspace required setting personal morals aside. "Physically you have to look the part, but that’s just one aspect. The internal journey is what I enjoy as an actor. You have to keep your own ideologies aside, understand the character’s thought process and empathise with him. I had to believe that he was the right guy," Yash explained, adding with a grin, "We are all heroes in our own story. Imagine a person who owned the three worlds—what kind of an ego he must have. That was very interesting for me to explore."
Yash assured fans that despite the technical challenges, the production remains grounded in pure reverence for the source material. "I think intent is the most important thing. You need to have the right intent and team. When we started off with the right intent, then everything will fall in place. The story itself has got so many aspects where we started figuring out several aspects of life. Technically, it was challenging, from make-up to looks, but eventually, when you try to tell a story, we give it our all to tell the story in the most authentic way. I think we have been able to do it in quite a good manner, is what I believe," he said, concluding, "I think they are in for a treat. We have done our best. Everybody has their own imagination of this story, but one thing I can promise is that we have made an honest effort. Our intentions are in the right place, our heart is in the right place."
The spectacle did not end with the actors, as the team shared a special featurette showcasing the unprecedented musical collaboration scoring the saga: Hollywood legend Hans Zimmer and Indian maestro AR Rahman. Describing their joint venture as a bridge between musical worlds, Zimmer beamed alongside Rahman, addressing the crowd with immense admiration. "Hello Comic-Con, I'm Hans Zimmer and I'm here with my really dear friend, the genius that is AR Rahman, and together we are setting off on a journey that has never been done before," Zimmer announced.
For Zimmer, immersing himself in Indian tradition alongside Rahman felt like a sacred privilege, calling their partnership a gift from the gods. "I think it's really interesting that I, as a European, get to immerse myself and listen to this man tell me about the gods," Zimmer reflected. He noted how the ancient epic holds a vital message for modern viewers across the globe. "We have something that's thousands of years old that reminds us of our moral duty, that reminds us of who we are," he added, capturing the very spirit that made Comic-Con fall in love with this cinematic dream team.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is a two-part adaptation of Valmiki’s epic. The film features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The ensemble cast also includes Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Arun Govil as Dasharatha, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara and Adinath Kothare as Bharat, among others.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.