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New Delhi: Ranbir Kapoor’s most-anticipated film of the year, Ramayana: Part 1, is set to release during this Diwali. In the film, actress Sai Pallavi plays the role of Goddess Sita. Now, Dipika Chikhalia, who became a household name after playing Sita in Ramanand Sagar’s classic TV show, shared her opinion about Sai Pallavi essaying the role of Sita in Nitesh Tiwari’s epic.

In a chat with Variety India, Deepika also talked about Arun Govil returning to the Ramayana story as King Dashrath, the lasting impact of the original TV series, and how playing Sita shaped the path of her career.

When asked about Sai Pallavi playing the role of Sita, Dipika called the actress very talented but said it would not be fair to judge her selection before watching her performance.

“I have seen her work. She’s a phenomenal actor. But I don’t know how she’ll look like Sita. Once we see her, we’ll know. At the moment, I have no clue. The description of Sita in Tulsidas’ Ramayan was that of a woman with almond eyes, a certain height, hair and skin. That’s what Ramanand Sagar was looking for, and he saw it in me. I know all of them are good actors. If they fit the bill, then it’s good,” she said.

Deepika also talked about Arun Govil, who famously played Lord Ram with her in the classic TV show and is now set to play King Dashrath in Nitesh Tiwari’s movie.

Thinking about the lasting impact of Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, she said the TV show stays deeply saved in people’s minds, especially after it was shown again during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“We’re known for what we are. I’m known as Sita. Sometimes, people forget my name, but they remember that I played Sita. So, that’s my identity. I don’t know why anybody would want to lose that. Of course, as an actor, you want to play different roles. Nobody wants to get typecast.”

She continued, “I think our Ramayan will weigh very heavily on the Ramayana film. Our Ramayan was also watched by the new generation when it aired on Doordarshan during the pandemic. So, it’s very difficult to erase that. Sitaji with curly hair is not mentioned in Ramayan.”

Deepika also opened up about the career challenges she faced after becoming so deeply connected with the role of Sita. She mentioned that the fame of this role slowly limited the different types of characters offered to her.

“I didn’t get any work. In fact, I’m asking people for work even now. Ranbir has acted in Barfi, Sanju and Animal, and now he is playing Lord Rama. That’s the beauty of today’s time. It wasn’t like that during our days. We all got typecast. It’s still very tough to get work because people can’t see me as anyone else. That’s why I got into production.”

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Talking about Yash being chosen to play Ravana, Deepika showed confidence in his acting skills while sharing that Ramanand Sagar’s version still holds a special place in the hearts of viewers.

“I’ve seen a little bit of Yash’s work. I’m sure he’ll be dynamic. But the thing is that erasing the old Ramayan will be very difficult. Also, it’s very recent. Had the film come out 50 years later, people would have forgotten Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan and the cast. Right now, it’s still very fresh in their minds.”

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Even with these views, Deepika wished the team good luck and believed that the movie would pull people to the theaters.

“All these are talented people. I’m sure it will be a film people want to watch at least once. The crux of Ramayan was that every actor who played that character fit the bill. That, along with Ravindra Jain’s music, was the reason behind the success of Ramayan.”

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is being made as a two-part movie based on Valmiki’s grand story. The film features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana. The main cast also features Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Rakul Preet Singh, Kunal Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Arun Govil, Sheeba Chaddha, and Adinath Kothare.

Curated by – Shahira Siddiqui