Actor who played Lord Krishna in BR Chopra's Mahabharat withdraws praise for Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana movie. ‘I cannot find a single good word’

Ranbir Kapoor’s film Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, has grossed Rs 431.47 crore in India and its total India net is Rs 361.24 crore so far. As the movie gains widespread appreciation from audiences, iconic television character, Nitish Bharadwaj, who portrayed Lord Krishna in BR Chopra's Mahabharat has now withdrawn his earlier appreciation for the movie and has expressed disappointment over its interpretation of the epic.

Nitish Bharadwaj withdraws appreciation for Ramayana

Taking to social media, Nitish Bharadwaj explained why he was no longer appreciative of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. He argued that the epic is deeply connected to India's cultural and spiritual identity, and the central characters "cannot be casually redefined".

Questioning the portrayal of Ravan as an exceptionally liberal, socially just and fair figure, Bharadwaj said this interpretation altered the moral framework of the epic and undermined the purpose of Ram's avatar, which was to uphold Dharma and establish Maryada.

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Expressing his disappointment, the actor announced that he was withdrawing his earlier appreciation for the film. He wrote, “I cannot find a single good word to say about it,” adding that VFX spectacle could never replace the philosophical depth and spiritual essence of the Mahakavya. In an earlier post, Bharadwaj had expressed hope that audiences would accept Sai Pallavi as Sita Maa and that the film would retain the traditional sound of the Ramayana through Tulsidas' Chaupais, Mridangam and Manjira. He had ended that post by asking readers, “Can someone read between the lines?”

Mukesh Khanna questions Ramayana makers’ creative liberties

Mukesh Khanna has also voiced concerns about the film in his latest vlog. The actor accused the makers of taking creative liberties with the revered text and questioned whether recovering the film's reportedly Rs 4,000 crore budget had become a bigger priority than telling the story faithfully.

However, Khanna clarified that he had not watched the film. His comments were based on promotional material and audience reactions and reviews. He particularly questioned a reported fight sequence involving Sita Maa, comparing the portrayal to Rani of Jhansi and modern action-oriented heroines. Referring to Valmiki's Ramayana, Khanna argued that Sita was never described as fighting physically.

He said, “Maine Valmiki ji ki Ramayan padhi,” adding that the text did not describe Sita Maa as someone who went into battle. He also questioned why Ravan could abduct her if she was portrayed as a fighter. Khanna further criticised the discussion around the film becoming focused on how its reported Rs 4,000 crore investment would be recovered rather than whether the makers were presenting the Ramayana accurately.