Yash Defends Ranbir Kapoor's Casting in Ramayana; Praising His 'Sacrifice'

At the San Diego Comic Con this past Thursday, the makers of the upcoming epic “Ramayana” gathered for a panel discussion that saw Kannada star Yash—who is set to play the antagonist Ravana in his Hindi film debut—stand up in support of his co‑star Ranbir Kapoor’s portrayal of Lord Rama. Yash, who has been praised for his own performance as the demon king, took the opportunity to defend Kapoor’s casting and highlight the actor’s dedication to the role.

During the session, Yash said, “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.” He added that Kapoor has worked hard on his fitness and that viewers will see “a beautiful Rama with great intent and great sacrifice” in the film.

The panel was hosted by director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra, and featured a full cast that includes Sai Pallavi as Sita, Sunny Deol, Rakul Preet Singh, Lara Dutta, Arun Govil, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor and others. The discussion also touched on the film’s release plans, with the first part scheduled for theatrical release this November.

While the “Ramayana” team had planned to launch the trailer globally at 8 AM on Friday, the release was postponed. Producer Namit Malhotra announced on social media that the trailer would be launched at a later date, stating, “Today is a very special moment for our ‘Ramayana’. My dream of taking Ramayana to the world is now a reality with our partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment. In light of the above we will be launching our trailer now globally at a later date. In over 100 years of Indian cinema this will become a moment of great pride where Ramayana will be shown to the entire world like any major global Hollywood film. This is special as it opens the door for people of the world to discover the richness of our culture and our stories with renewed pride and enthusiasm.”

The film’s story follows the ancient epic, with Ranbir Kapoor as the virtuous prince Rama, Yash as the formidable Ravana, and a large ensemble cast bringing the tale to life. The production team hopes the international release will showcase Indian mythology on a global stage, offering audiences worldwide a fresh look at a classic narrative.