Ranbir Kapoor is essaying the role of Prabhu Shri Ram, and ever since the trailer of the film was dropped, netizens and many celebs have voiced their opinions over Ranbir playing Lord Ram. Some said Ranbir Kapoor is misfit, while many said that he doesn’t have the poise and aura to essay Lord Ram. Some even dug out Ranbir’s old interview wherein Ranbir said that he loves beef. His comments sparked outrage on social media then, and now, with Ranbir essaying the role of Lord Ram, once again the spotlight is back on Ranbir.
Adding fuel to the ongoing Ranbir Kapoor backlash, Ramanand Sagar’s grandson Shiv Sagar believes the casting of the upcoming Ramayana could have been approached differently. Shiv, who is also a producer-director, reportedly expressed his reservations about Ranbir Kapoor playing Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwari’s highly anticipated film.
Shiv Sagar said he has no personal issue with Ranbir and considers him a talented actor. However, he feels the actor’s previous roles, particularly his morally complex character in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, could make it difficult for audiences to accept him as Ram.
“Except for that one casting, I like the rest of the casting very much. Personally, I cannot accept Ranbir Kapoor as Ram after Animal. When I look at Ram ji, I feel that a fresh face should have been taken. You can take a very strong supporting cast, like Yash is looking very good, Sai Pallavi is looking very good, they don’t have that much baggage. He has a lot of baggage. That’s why we usually take a new face in our serials, so they don’t have any baggage or history,” said Shiv Sagar, according to ANI.
“We have seen Ranbir in different roles; he is a very good actor. Personally, I don’t have anything against him. I think they must have taken him for the project because they want a marketing push, and maybe if they didn’t take Ranbir, the film wouldn’t have been marketed so well, so that’s also something to think about, but I personally believe that for such characters, it’s better to take a new face,” he elaborated.
“Because after Ramayan, will he be accepted again in a film like Animal? Especially when it comes to Ram ji and Ramayan, people are a bit more touchy and emotional, and this is not mythology. In the West, we call it mythology; even in India, it is called mythology, but it is our history. People worship them every day; he (Ram) is our history,” he added.
“In reality, the public is the king, and whatever the public says will be the final verdict. I didn’t like the casting and costumes of some parts; that could have been better,” said Shiv Sagar.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana. The ambitious two-part epic is among the most anticipated Indian films in recent years and is scheduled to hit theatres during Diwali 2026, with the trailer expected to offer audiences their first detailed look at the film’s world, scale and visual spectacle.