Sai Pallavi was in tears after dialect coach touched her feet on Ramayana sets: ‘Overwhelmed’

Sai Pallavi has recalled an emotional incident from the sets of Ramayana that left her in tears. The actor, who plays Goddess Sita in Nitesh Tiwari’s adaptation of the epic, revealed that her dialect coach once touched her feet after a scene, despite knowing that she was interacting with Sai Pallavi and not a divine figure. The gesture made the actor realise how people connect with the character and the devotion associated with her.

In a conversation with Pallavi Raj for her YouTube channel MyShadowBeats, Sai Pallavi was asked whether she experienced any particularly overwhelming or emotional moments on the sets of Ramayana. Responding to the question, the actor recalled the incident and spoke about the responsibility of portraying a figure she has worshipped and the spiritual approach she adopted while preparing for the role.

Sai Pallavi recalls emotional moment with dialect coach on Ramayana sets

Recalling the incident, Sai said the moment happened when she returned to her vanity van after completing a scene. Her dialect coach unexpectedly touched her feet, leaving her taken aback.

“I was a little overwhelmed when my dialect coach touched my feet after a scene. I was taken aback because she had seen me making phone calls, getting ready and doing all the usual things. She knows I am Sai Pallavi. But sometimes, when you play a character you worship every day, someone you have a connection with, almost like your mother, people don’t really care whether they are looking at an actor or another human being. They just want that love and devotion to come through,” she said.

The actor admitted that she could not hold back her tears when the coach made the gesture.

“When she did that, even before she started crying, I started crying. I said, ‘What are you even doing?’ That moment made me realise how much the character speaks to so many people,” she recalled.

Sai said she felt humbled by the experience, explaining that the love was not necessarily directed at her as Sai Pallavi but at the belief that Sita Maa was working through her.

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Sai Pallavi says she prayed and surrendered while playing Sita

Sai admitted that she was initially overwhelmed by the responsibility of portraying Sita, wondering whether she possessed the compassion, faith and strength associated with the revered figure.

Unsure of how to approach a role of such spiritual significance, Sai said she chose to “pray and surrender”, believing that the character was beyond her abilities alone. She decided to place her faith in God and allow Sita Maa to “work through me.”

This is not the first time Sai has spoken about the spiritual process behind playing Sita. At a promotional event for Ramayana in July, she told the media that she did not consider the role something she had pursued or achieved through her own efforts.

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“I didn’t choose the role, I was blessed for the role. It is not something you go after, something you can write on a piece of paper and act,” the actor said.

Speaking about her preparation, she also revealed that she tried to keep her thoughts as pure and neutral as possible during the filming process.

“I used to meditate and say Sita Maa act through me. Whatever comes through me is what you want for the film. I was always keeping it as pure as possible, at least in my thoughts, to keep it neutral, so that I have the best version to present.”

About Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is a two-part cinematic adaptation of the Hindu epic, produced by Namit Malhotra. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Ram opposite Sai Pallavi as Sita, while Yash portrays Ravana. The ensemble cast also includes Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Arun Govil as Dasharatha, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi and Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari.

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The film’s music has been composed by Oscar-winning composers Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman, while its visual effects are being handled by DNEG. The first instalment released around Diwali 2026, with the second part planned for Diwali 2028.