There is tremendous curiosity among the audience and the film industry about the much-talked about mythological film 'Ramayana', the most ambitious in the history of Indian cinema and being made with a huge budget of about Rs 4000 crore. In this grand cinematic saga being made under the direction of Nitish Tiwari, Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor is playing the central role of Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram on screen. The news of the actor giving up non-vegetarian food and nicotine to completely get into this divine character has been in the media headlines for a long time. However, now Anupriya Nagar, producer of the project 'Hanuman Ansh' based on spiritual and mythological background, has given birth to a new debate by giving her frank opinion on this much talked about transformation of Ranbir Kapoor. In a special interview, he clearly said that to assume the form of a worshipable person like Lord Ram, merely removing non-veg from the diet is not enough. Recently, during a detailed conversation with senior journalist and podcaster Siddharth Kannan, Anupriya Nagar talked in detail about the moral and spiritual responsibilities of living mythological and spiritual characters. He presented the living example of actor Shobhinav Satya, who played the pious form of revered saint Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaj Ji) in his project 'Hanuman Ansh'. Anupriya underlined that Shobhinav not only delivered dialogues, but also completely adopted Maharaj ji's simplicity, purity and renunciation in his personal lifestyle. He said, 'When Shobhinav Satya played the character of Maharaj Ji in our project, he lived that character with his soul and that is why even today common people and devotees worship him considering him to be the actual image of Maharaj Ji instead of an ordinary actor. When you make an immortal work like 'Ramayana', then the entire unit and the film team should see the true and pure spirit of Lord Ram in that artist. Quoting the words of Premanand Maharaj: Conduct, fellowship and humility are the greatest religion Anupriya Nagar shared a serious reflection on the character of an artist, referencing the Indian Sanatan tradition and the spiritual teachings of revered saint Premanand Ji Maharaj. He bluntly said that the conduct of any person playing the role of Maryada Purushottam behind the screen should be as impeccable as his character as per the scriptures. Anupriya said, 'As Pujya Premanand Maharaj always says, not only the food and drink of an artist, but his entire character, his behavior and his company should also be extremely pure. Whom you meet in society, what kind of image you project on public platforms and which gatherings you attend – all these things have a deep impact. Even if an actor has reached the highest pinnacle of success and fame in the film industry, he has to observe ultimate humility and self-control when he dons the costume of Lord Shri Ram. Therefore, merely giving up non-vegetarian food is not a big sacrifice in itself. Recitation of Hanuman Chalisa every day before the shooting and sacred resolution of the audience. Anupriya Nagar, while sharing an emotional incident, said that an alert audience had already taken a sacred resolution of completely renouncing non-vegetarian food just to watch 'Hanuman Ansh'. Adding to this incident, he said, 'Just think, when a common audience has such deep respect for a spiritual work and brings sattvikta in his eating habits, then how much the moral responsibility of the lead actor playing that character on screen increases. Giving up non-veg is only a very small beginning of sadhana, after this you have to take many difficult resolutions for mental and spiritual purification. For example, when our team was shooting for 'Hanuman Ansh', our entire unit had taken an unwavering resolve to regularly recite Hanuman Chalisa collectively before starting work, which created an immense sattvik energy on the set. The first part of 'Ramayana' will be released on Diwali, eyes fixed on Ranbir's sacrifice. It is noteworthy that when Ranbir Kapoor was cast for the role of Lord Ram, the news had come out that the actor has completely distanced himself from cigarettes, alcohol and all types of non-veg food, respecting the purity of his character and public sentiments. The first part of this epic saga being made in two parts is going to be released globally on the auspicious occasion of Diwali this year. While Ranbir's fans are extremely eager to see his satvik avatar on screen, Anupriya Nagar's statement makes it clear that the Indian public expects complete spiritual dedication and inner dignity from the characters of mythological idols, not just physical appearance or showy abstinence.
