From predicting an Oscar to saying he cannot find “a single good word” for it, Nitish Bharadwaj has dramatically changed his verdict on Ramayana.
The actor, best known for playing Krishna in B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharat, has withdrawn his earlier praise for Nitesh Tiwari’s film starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash. After applauding its trailer for its scale and visual ambition, Bharadwaj says watching the film left him “deeply upset and disappointed”.
At the centre of his criticism is its portrayal of Ravana and what he believes that interpretation does to the epic’s moral and spiritual message.
First came the Oscar prediction
Bharadwaj’s initial response left little room for doubt. Reacting to the trailer, he predicted not just awards recognition but an Oscar win, while placing director Nitesh Tiwari in illustrious company.
“100% Oscar for Best Foreign Film. Nitesh Tiwari is Bharat’s next gift to world cinema after Satyajit Rai and Shekhar Kapoor,” he wrote in his earlier post, reported by The Indian Express.
The film’s visual world appeared to have made a particularly strong impression. “Tens of awards for Production Design and DOP. Wonderful period creation using VFX and AI,” he added.
His enthusiasm extended to the actors, too. “Ranbir now at par with Ranveer as the next two unbeatable Dhurandhars. Yash — welcome to global cinema.”
‘I withdraw my earlier post’
That confidence did not survive his viewing of the finished film. In a subsequent Instagram statement, reported on November 10, Bharadwaj explicitly retracted his earlier appreciation.
“I am deeply upset and disappointed with this film. I withdraw my earlier post about it. I cannot find a single good word to say about it,” he wrote.
His objection was not framed as a criticism of Kapoor’s performance as Ram. Instead, the character he singled out was Yash’s Ravana, arguing that the film’s treatment of the antagonist altered the story’s fundamental balance.
“By presenting Ravan as an exceptionally liberal, socially just and fair figure, the film, in my view, alters the moral framework of the Ramayan and undermines the very purpose of avataar,” he said.
For Bharadwaj, that characterisation has implications beyond how sympathetic or compelling a screen villain might be. He argued that Ram’s divine purpose is connected to upholding dharma and tradition, and that changing the moral positions of the principal characters changes the meaning of the story itself.
‘The Ramayan is not just a story’
Bharadwaj’s criticism also draws on his belief that an adaptation of the epic carries a responsibility beyond entertainment. “The Ramayan is not just a story,” he wrote, describing its connection to the “civilisational and spiritual consciousness of Sanatan Bharat”.
“Its heroes, heroine and antagonist are integral to the values and message of this Mahakavya. Their character and significance cannot be casually redefined,” he added.
The visual effects that featured prominently in his earlier praise became part of his argument against the finished film. “A spectacle of VFX can never substitute for the core values, philosophical depth and spiritual essence of this Mahakavya.”
He also withdrew the wider international endorsement behind his Oscar prediction. “This film, in my opinion, does not deserve to represent Indian cinema internationally when its narrative misrepresents Bharat’s history, heritage and core spiritual values.”
Source: Khaleej Times
