The film's first trailer has sparked controversy over casting and VFX, but actor Saurabh Sachdeva insists the team made it with care and authenticity. 'Ramayana' releases worldwide on November 5, 2026.
Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram. Sai Pallavi as Sita. Yash as Ravana. The names alone have set off a firestorm — and now, with the first trailer out, the debate is in full swing. Ramayana, Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious global-scale adaptation of the ancient epic, is set for a worldwide theatrical release on November 5, 2026.
That’s just four days away. And while the anticipation is palpable, so is the backlash. Online reactions have zeroed in on the visual effects, with some calling them underwhelming. Others are questioning the casting choices, particularly Kapoor’s portrayal of the divine prince.
But not everyone’s rattled. Saurabh Sachdeva, who plays Maricha, one of the more morally ambiguous figures in the story, says he isn’t bothered by the criticism. “It doesn’t affect me,” he told PTI in an interview. “Now, people have a forum or place to talk about, they can say anything.” He adds that if the film fails to deliver story or emotion, then critique is fair game.
But here, he insists, the intent was clear: to make something rooted in authenticity. “Here (with ‘Ramayana’) definitely our belief is also connected, religious belief, religious sentiment is there,” he said. “That is what is a little fragile. So many times people will get up strongly and talk.” He’s not scared.
Not even close. “I think the film is well-made,” he said. “Nothing has been added just to add, or we’ve not done anything just for the sake of it.” What he’s seen during dubbing, he says, feels “done in a beautiful and right way.” Sachdeva described Maricha as a character caught between sides, “on the villain side, but always in a dilemma about where to stand.” He praised director Nitesh Tiwari, calling him “calm and soft-spoken.” “He doesn’t get agitated or upset.
I haven’t seen him screaming at anyone,” he said. “He often says, ‘You can do this, you can do that.’” That calm, Sachdeva believes, is contagious. “If the director is relaxed, then I’m also relaxed. I don’t have to be worried about it.
I don’t have to do anything.” On his own hopes for the film? He wants it to open doors. “I hope I’ll get a few more years (to work in the industry), more films, and that people will come to me,” he said. “I think I will be known to Hollywood people also.” He believes the film will be a big hit, “people will get to know more about me, more masses, and I’ll get more films to do, and I’ll entertain more fans.” The cast also includes Arun Govil, Kunal Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh, Lara Dutt, and Ravie Dubey.
The film will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. It’s produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios, in collaboration with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. Part two is expected during Diwali 2027. The debate rages.
The trailer’s out. The theatre doors open Thursday. What happens next? Only time will tell.
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