Gajendra Chauhan Reacts to 'Ramayana' Trailer, Praises Arun Govil's Casting

Actor Gajendra Chauhan, known for playing Yudhishthir in BR Chopra's Mahabharat, has expressed reservations about Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Yash as Raavan. Speaking on the Hindi Rush Podcast, Chauhan said he was “not impressed” by the film's trailer, while acknowledging that Ranbir looks convincing in the role. His criticism focused largely on the treatment of certain mythological characters and scenes rather than the actor's appearance.

Chauhan specifically questioned the portrayal of Kaikeyi and the scene in which she asks King Dashrath to send Ram into exile. He said the character's modern-looking sari did not fit his expectations of the period and felt the sequence lacked the emotional impact he remembered from earlier adaptations. Drawing from his experience in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, in which he played Dashrath in 2002, Chauhan said the Kaikeyi-Dashrath sequence is crucial to showing how the royal family begins to fall apart after Manthara influences Kaikeyi.

The veteran actor also raised concerns about casting established Bollywood stars in mythological roles. According to Chauhan, audiences often associate major actors with their existing screen personas, making it harder for them to accept the performers as revered mythological figures. He said Ranbir Kapoor already has a strong public image as a Bollywood star, which could influence how viewers perceive his portrayal of Lord Ram. However, Chauhan clarified that Ranbir looks good in the role and said it would be unfair to make a definitive assessment based solely on the trailer.

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Chauhan compared the situation with his own experience as Yudhishthir in Mahabharat. He said that although he had worked in films and television before the series, he did not have a major public image at the time, allowing audiences to associate him closely with the mythological character. He also recalled a previously planned Mahabharat project featuring several major stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Ajay Devgn and Aamir Khan, which was eventually shelved after being in development for about two years.

Despite his criticism, Chauhan praised the casting of Arun Govil as King Dashrath, calling it the strongest casting choice in the film. Govil famously portrayed Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's iconic Ramayan in the late 1980s. Chauhan said Govil's journey from playing Ram decades ago to portraying his father Dashrath now makes the casting particularly meaningful. He also described Govil as a “fantastic actor” and said he believes the veteran will do justice to the role.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana features Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Raavan, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, alongside Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi and Arun Govil as Dashrath. Ramayana: Part One is scheduled to release in India on November 8, 2026, and will cover Ram's formative years, his relationship and marriage with Sita, and the beginning of his 14-year exile. The second part is scheduled for release during Diwali 2027.

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