‘I am Rama in real life’: Yash recalls how he justified playing Ravana in Ramayana to his son

Kannada superstar Yash as Ravana in Ramayana Part 1. (Credit: IMDb)

Although Yash is excited for the world to see his work in director Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1, the same isn’t true for his 7-year-old son Yatharv. While he may be happy that his father is part of Ramayana, he isn’t all that gleeful since Yash is playing Ravana, the antagonist, and not Rama, the protagonist.

In a recent interview, the Kannada superstar revealed that he had a difficult conversation with Yatharv when the little one asked him, “Who do I root for?”

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‘You are Ravana?!’

Mentioning that his children grew up listening to the Ramayana from their grandparents, he said during a conversation with television presenter Suma Kanakala, “For a son, his father is his hero. Since he knows the story [of the Ramayana], he asked me, ‘You are Ravana?! How can you be Ravana? Aren’t you Rama?’ So, I said, ‘Yes, I am Rama in real life, but in the movie, I am playing Ravana.’ But he was like, ‘Then you are the bad guy.’ So, I explained to him about cinema and acting, showing him drawings and all of that.”

Then came the toughest question from Yatharv: “So, who do I root for?” Yash continued, “That was a complicated question. My fans might also have the same doubt, wondering, ‘Why is Yash doing this role?’ Especially since, in scenes like Sita Apaharan, I should not be liked. Then I told my kid in the most distinct way, ‘When we listen to the story, it is Rama whom everybody has to follow. Ravana might look glamorous, fancy, or powerful. But ultimately, if you have to win, you have to understand the essence of Lord Rama. However, in the movie, you can root for me. But don’t take it personally.'”

‘Do you die? Do you lose?’

Yatharv further asked Yash, “But do you die? Do you lose?” The Kannada superstar then had to convince his son, saying, “Listen, I am just playing that role. It’s a different thing.” Pointing out that the conversation was difficult, Yash maintained that he hadn’t approached it that way while working on the film.

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“I didn’t think of it when I was doing the movie. I was thinking of my fans for sure. But I didn’t think of my son or the possibility that he would ask me this question one day. It was interesting. But how do I explain to him that this is just a character that I am playing? So, I thought he would understand it later,” he added.

About Ramayana Part 1

Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1 also features Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshmana, and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. Bankrolled by Namit Malhotra, the epic mythological actioner’s music has been composed by Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman. The film, the first instalment in a planned two-part franchise, hits screens on November 5. The two-part project is being mounted on a reported budget of Rs 4,000 crore.