B.R. Chopra’s TV serial Mahabharat is already an iconic series, with Nitish Bharadwaj, popular for his portrayal of Lord Krishna, coming out with his earlier appreciation for Ramayana: Part 1. The actor who earlier hailed the film’s epic shoot and spectacular effects has now come out and voiced his dismay at the idea of director Nitesh Tiwari taking a shot at a mythological epic. The sudden shift in his opinion has caught the attention, especially when he firstly predicted the film could walk away with an Oscar.
The controversy is around what Ravana is being depicted by the actor, Yash. In his latest statement on Instagram, Bharadwaj raised a doubt about the portrayal of the mythical antagonist, Ravana, in particular for his being dubbed as an “extraordinarily liberal, socially just and fair ruler.” The actor said such ascription will alter the moral of the original Ramayana and affect the main objective of Lord Rama’s birth.
Emphasising that the Ramayana is not just a traditional tale, but an integral part of India’s cultural, spiritual and civilisational heritage, Bharadwaj explained his concerns. He said that its main characters symbolize values that shouldn’t be discarded lightly. He also pointed out that the description of the main characters of the epic, Lord Rama, whom Lord Vishnu took the avatar of, assumed the role of Dharma, tradition and Maryada, thus giving special importance to the interpretation of the epic.
The actor, adding strong words to his post, mentioned that he was “upset and disappointed” with the movie, and has ended his earlier appreciation of the film. He also stated that although the visual effects are impressive, the philosophical depth and spiritual meanings in the Mahakavya cannot be replaced. Curiously, the latest criticism is in contrast to his initial love letter to the production design, the cinematography and the music composers Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman’s work together.
Produced by Namit Malhotra and directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ranayana: Part 1 stars Ranbir Kapoor who plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi who plays Sita and Yash as Ravana. The movie also stars Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. Bharadwaj’s comment has sparked a renewed debate on creative freedom versus cultural responsibility in the making of mythological films, which has given rise to an interesting question: where do filmmakers stand on the issue of how far they can go in interpreting an ancient epic without losing its philosophical and spiritual connotations?
