'I never chose to play Sita...': Actress Sai Pallavi shares one thing she did every day while playing the role in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana

One of India's biggest upcoming films, Ramayana: Part 1, is gearing up for its theatrical release this Diwali. Promotions for Nitesh Tiwari's ambitious mythological epic officially began in New Delhi on Saturday (July 19) with the grand Pratham Sankalp event, where the cast and makers came together to share their experiences of bringing the timeless story to the big screen. One of the biggest highlights was actress Sai Pallavi opening up about what it meant to portray Sita. The actor shared the mindset she adopted while preparing for the role, while director Nitesh Tiwari explained why he believed she was the perfect choice to play the revered character.

Sai Pallavi reveals how she prepared to play Sita

Speaking at the event, Sai Pallavi described playing Sita as one of the greatest opportunities of her acting career. She said portraying a goddess is not something an actor can approach like an ordinary role because it comes with immense responsibility and requires complete dedication from everyone involved in the film.

The actress explained that she never believed she had "chosen" the role. Instead, she felt fortunate that the opportunity came her way. According to Sai, portraying Sita was a blessing rather than something she actively pursued, and she never tried to create a fixed blueprint for the character.


"It’s not something that you can go after and not something you can write down and say, this is how I want to play. I would sit and meditate and say, Sita maa, you act through me. Whatever comes through me is what you want for the film,"

Sai further shared that she made a conscious effort to keep herself mentally calm and pure throughout the filming process. She explained, "I was always keeping myself as pure as possible, at least in my thoughts, to keep it very neutral. So I have the best version of myself presenting there."

The actor's comments received loud applause from the audience, with many praising her thoughtful approach to playing one of Indian mythology's most respected characters.

Nitesh Tiwari says he sees Ram and Sita in his lead actors

Director Nitesh Tiwari also spoke warmly about Sai Pallavi and Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Ram in the film. Explaining his casting choices, he said an actor's eyes often reveal their sincerity more than anything else.

According to the filmmaker, he found exactly the honesty and emotional depth he was searching for when he met Sai and Ranbir. Nitesh said that when he looks at them in the film, he no longer sees two popular actors. Instead, he sees only Sita and Ram, which gave him confidence that they were the right people to lead the epic.

His praise for the lead pair was one of the biggest talking points of the launch event, adding to the growing excitement surrounding the film.

Ramayana release date

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana is planned as a two-part cinematic event. The film features an impressive ensemble cast led by Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The cast also includes Sunny Deol, Kajal Aggarwal, Vivek Oberoi and several other well-known actors in important roles.

The first instalment is scheduled to release during Diwali 2026, while Ramayana: Part 2 will arrive in theatres during Diwali 2027.