Gajendra Chauhan, best remembered for essaying Yudhishthir in BR Chopra’s ‘Mahabharat’, shared his views on Nitesh Tiwari’s much-anticipated ‘Ramayana’, which stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Yash as Raavan. Chauhan expressed that the trailer left him “not impressed,” although he did acknowledge that Ranbir looked convincing in the role of Ram.
Gajendra Chauhan on Kaikeyi’s portrayal and the exile scene
He clarified that what bothered him wasn’t so much how the actor looked, but rather how hard it is to strip away a star’s familiar image when they’re playing a mythological figure. “I saw the Ramayana trailer. Personally, I am telling you, I was not impressed,” Chauhan said. He was especially critical of how Kaikeyi’s character was portrayed, particularly the scene where she demands Ram’s exile, drawing a comparison to his own turn as Dashrath in BR Chopra’s Ramayan back in 2002. “I was not impressed by Kaikeyi’s scene where she asks for Ram’s exile. Her dressing, for one, is very modern. They have given her a modern sari,” he said.
Gajendra Chauhan felt the scene lacked emotional weight
Chauhan felt the scene also fell short emotionally. He remembered how Ravi Chopra had approached the Kaikeyi-Dashrath sequence in his own Ramayan, noting that the actors had spent almost a day and a half filming that portion alone. He believes the scene holds significant weight in the narrative, as it captures the unravelling of a family after Manthara manipulates Kaikeyi. He also shared his perspective on why casting big Bollywood names in mythological roles can be tricky. “Stars have an image. It is very difficult for that star image to be accepted in mythology. If you want to play these characters, you should not have too much of an image. You should not be too exposed to the public,” he said.
Gajendra Chauhan recalls his own ‘Mahabharat’ experience
Drawing from his own journey with ‘Mahabharat’, Chauhan pointed out that before taking on the role of Yudhishthir, he had already done films and roughly 25 television serials, yet hadn’t built a significant public image. “The image that was created for me came from Mahabharat, because before that I didn’t have an image,” he said. He went on to recall an earlier Mahabharat project that had been announced with a star-heavy lineup, including Amitabh Bachchan as Bhishma Pitamah, Hrithik Roshan as Karna, Ajay Devgn in another part and Aamir Khan as Krishna, noting that the project ultimately got shelved after two years.
Gajendra Chauhan on Ranbir Kapoor’s star image as Ram
Chauhan observed that Ranbir, on the other hand, comes with a firmly established image as a Bollywood star. “Here, Ranbir Kapoor has his own image. He is a very big star. Now he is playing Ram,” he said. Even so, he was careful to point out that he didn’t think Ranbir looked unconvincing in the part. “He is looking good, no doubt. He looks very good in the get-up,” he said. Chauhan further noted that audiences also hold a preconceived image of Lord Ram in their minds, something that can influence how a new portrayal is received. “We had an image of Ram in our imagination — that he would have a long nose, that he would look like a king, that kind of look,” he said. That said, he admitted that judging the film in full would be difficult going by the trailer alone. “Until the film is released and we see it in its totality, it is a little difficult to comment,” he said.
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Gajendra Chauhan praises Arun Govil’s casting as Dashrath
Despite his reservations about certain elements of the trailer, Chauhan singled out the casting of Arun Govil as King Dashrath for praise. Govil is best remembered for portraying Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar’s classic ‘Ramayan’, which aired in the late 1980s. “I think the best casting is Arun Govil as Dashrath,” Chauhan said. He felt that Govil’s own history of playing Lord Ram adds a layer of significance to his casting as Dashrath this time around. “He was Ram 40 years ago. After 40 years, he has grown into Dashrath. He has become a father,” Chauhan said. Describing Govil as a “fantastic actor,” he expressed confidence that he would bring the right depth to the role. “I think that is very good casting for Ramayana. He is looking good too,” he added.
Ramayana’s cast and release details
‘Ramayana’, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, comes with a sprawling star cast, Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Raavan, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, with Arun Govil and Lara Dutta playing Dashrath and Kaikeyi respectively. Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi and Saurabh Sachdeva complete the lineup. The film’s first part is scheduled to hit Indian screens on November 8, 2026, charting Ram’s formative years, his relationship with Sita, their marriage and the beginning of his 14-year exile, with the concluding chapter arriving in Diwali 2027.Gajendra Chauhan called Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana’ trailer “not impressed,” criticising Kaikeyi’s modern portrayal but praising Ranbir Kapoor’s look as Ram. He recalled his own ‘Mahabharat’ journey and lauded Arun Govil’s casting as Dashrath, calling it apt given Govil once played Ram. The film releases November 8, 2026.
