Ravie Dubey defends Ranbir Kapoor's casting in 'Ramayana'

Ravie Dubey has shared his experience of working alongside Ranbir Kapoor on Nitesh Tiwari’s much-awaited ‘Ramayana’, and the actor has nothing but praise for his co-star. Ravie, who plays

Lakshman

in the two-part epic, called Ranbir “simply the best we have” and spoke about the actor’s dedication, preparation and grounded nature.Ranbir’s casting as Lord Ram has been met with mixed reactions on social media. However, Ravie believes the actor is perfectly suited to the role and said his experience of watching him work from close quarters has left a lasting impression.Speaking to Variety India, he said, “I think Ranbir is simply the best we have. He is a superstar of epic proportions, but what has stayed with me even more is the human being and the artiste I have witnessed at close range.”Ravie went on to describe Ranbir’s approach to his work, highlighting the seriousness and sincerity he brings to every day on set.“The sincerity with which he comes onto a set is unparalleled. His work ethic, etiquette, intensity and preparation; I had heard so much about these things, but I had the privilege of witnessing them firsthand. And alongside all of that is this incredibly grounded, warm and inclusive nature. There is no weight of his stardom in the way he interacts with people. I find that enormously inspiring. It is my great good fortune to be a part of this journey alongside Ranbir, Namit (Malhotra), Nitesh (Tiwari), Yash,

Sai Pallavi

and every single person associated with ‘Ramayana’.”

For Ravie, being part of ‘Ramayana’ is not merely another project or a career milestone. He described his association with the film as an “extraordinary moment” and said he has consciously tried to put personal ambitions aside while working on the epic.“With this film, I have constantly reminded myself that the larger purpose of all of us coming together and that includes me is to bring glory to Shri Ram’s name. So whenever thoughts of ambition or achievement surfaced, I have tried to return to one solitary and solid sentiment, which is surrender,” he shared.The actor-producer also reflected on the emotional and cultural significance of being part of the Ramayana narrative. Given the scale of the film, he said he has become even more conscious of allowing its larger purpose to take precedence over individual aspirations.“I am immensely grateful that something of this magnitude and canvas has materialised in my life. But precisely because it is so significant, I feel it is even more important for me to reconnect with that feeling of surrender and allow that perhaps to take precedence over everything else.

In the country and the culture that we come from, we have grown up believing that to become even a small part of Ram Katha is among the greatest good fortunes one can receive.

So for me, before this is an opportunity, an achievement, or even a debut, it is a blessing.”Ravie had earlier spoken about how deeply the project had affected its cast and crew. In a conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia last year, he revealed that preparing for ‘Ramayana’ required him to make significant changes to his lifestyle and claimed that Ranbir had also made several sacrifices for the film.“That role changed me. I had to transform myself to do justice to it because the audience can easily tell when you are faking it. I completely altered my routine. In fact, all of us did, including Ranbir Kapoor. He has sacrificed so much for this film. This feels more like a yagya. We all did everything in our power to stay true to these characters in how we behave, react, and even speak.”Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, ‘Ramayana’ is being made as a two-part adaptation of Valmiki’s epic. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi essays Sita and Yash plays Ravana. The cast also features Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Arun Govil as Dasharatha, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara and Adinath Kothare as Bharat, among others.