The first look of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram in Ramayana has sparked conversations across the internet, generating praise and criticism. While some praised the scale and ambition of the project, others expressed concern over the VFX after the teaser was dropped on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti.Amid mixed reactions, Moti Sagar, son of Ramanand Sagar—the creator of the iconic Ramayan—has weighed in on the controversy.
Moti Sagar backs Ranbir Kapoor, asks for patience
Moti Sagar, who co-directed the original series with his father, said it would be premature to judge the film based on the teaser alone. However, he expressed confidence in the casting of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram — a role immortalized by Arun Govil in the 1987 show.“I am expecting something very good from Ramayana as he (Ranbir) is one of the best actors we have today in terms of performances, including capturing emotions (right). He is a classy actor and has great depth. But you can’t judge anything from this teaser,” he told PTI.“The actor has gone so deep into his performance. He has to go deep into this character. So I would like to comment after watching the whole movie. I expect something very good from this movie,” he added.
“It’s not fair to compare it to the TV show”
Addressing comparisons between the upcoming film and the 1987 TV classic, Moti Sagar said the parallels are unfair considering the difference in format and duration.“People often forget that our ‘Ramayan’ was 78 episodes of 30-40 minutes, and the film will run for only three to four hours. So there will be a lot of differences, like we can fit a lot of details into one show,” he explained.He also pointed out that the original show became a cultural phenomenon because of the time and depth it could devote to storytelling.
Ramaanand Sagar’s vision and making of Ramayan
Recalling his father’s vision, Moti Sagar said that Ramanand Sagar was deeply devoted to Lord Ram and saw Ramayan as his lifelong ambition.“My father was a devotee of Lord Ram. After doing ‘Vikram Betal’ and ‘Dada Dadi Ki Kahaniyan’, he called all four of us and said ‘Ramayan’ is my lifelong ambition. I have to do it, even if I have to sell my bungalow,” he said.“He also said that he is not doing the show for money… We all joined him and in those two-three years, we lived and breathed only ‘Ramayan’. He did it to create awareness and moral values.”Moti Sagar also revealed that the show, made on a modest budget of Rs 9 lakh per episode, faced several challenges during production. Since there was no CGI at the time, the team relied on innovative techniques.“We did the special effects using special methods. For example, incense and dhoop sticks were used to create the fog, cotton to create the cloud. We also used a new machine, SEG 2000, a special effects generator, for the bow and arrow scenes,” he said.
About Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and helmed by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana has a star-studded cast. Along with Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi Sita, Yash Ravana, Sunny Deol Hanuman and Ravie Dubey Lakshman.Interestingly, Arun Govil will also be seen in a pivotal role in the film, along with Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare and Sheeba Chaddha.The first part of Ramayana is slated for a Diwali 2026 release, while the second part is expected to arrive in Diwali 2027.
