'Sita Maa fighter nahi thi....': Mukesh Khanna criticises Ramayana makers over Sita's portrayal. Shaktiman actor questions Rs 4,000 crore budget

Ramayana Part 1, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and backed by Namit Malhotra, is enjoying a successful run in theatres. The film was released on November 5 and collected over Rs 600 crore worldwide in its first five days. Amid the box office success, veteran actor Mukesh Khanna has questioned the makers over their portrayal of Mata Sita and the film's reported Rs 4,000 crore budget.

Mukesh Khanna questions Ramayana makers over creative liberties

In his latest vlog, the Shaktiman actor criticised the filmmakers for allegedly taking creative liberties with the revered epic. He questioned whether the makers were more concerned about recovering the film's reported Rs 4,000 crore budget than telling the story faithfully.

Khanna pointed out that much of the discussion around the film had been about its earnings and the money invested in it. He felt the bigger question should be whether the makers were presenting the Ramayana accurately.




The actor also clarified that he has not watched the film. His comments, he said, were based on the promotional material released by the makers and the reactions and reviews shared by viewers.

Questioning the practice of changing details from religious epics, Khanna asked whether filmmakers should be allowed to add or remove elements from stories such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata to suit their creative vision. He stressed that such adaptations should not compromise the original text.

'Sita Maa fighter nahi thi': Actor reacts to her action sequence

One of Khanna's biggest objections was directed at an action sequence featuring Sai Pallavi's Sita. Referring to Valmiki's Ramayana, he argued that the epic does not describe Sita as someone who physically fought her enemies.

According to the actor, "Kya aap andaza laga sakate hai ki Sita Mata Rani Jhansi ki tarah fight kar rahi hai ya aajkal ki heroines jo macho ban jaati hai? Maine Valmiki ji ki Ramayan padhi. Usmein kahin bhi aisa nahi likha hai ki Sita ji ne kabhi bhi jaakar fight ki hai. Woh ek Maryada Purushottam ki patni thi jinhone ne seva bhav dikhaya hai. Woh fighter nahi thi. Agar woh fighter hoti toh woh Raavan se fight karti. Kyun Raavan unhe chup chap pakad ke le gaye."

(Translate: "Can you imagine Sita Mata fighting like Rani of Jhansi or like today's actresses who portray themselves as macho women? I have read Valmiki's Ramayana, and nowhere does it mention that Sita ever went out to fight. She was the wife of Maryada Purushottam, and her character reflected devotion and service. She was not a fighter. If she had been one, she would have fought Ravana. Why, then, was she taken away by Ravana without putting up a fight?")

Khanna also expressed surprise over producer Namit Malhotra's reported clarification that the sequence was inspired by the Adbhuta Ramayana rather than Valmiki's Ramayana.

The veteran actor questioned this explanation and argued that filmmakers should be careful while adapting religious texts. He said, "I was in shock after the producer claimed that he didn’t take the particular scene from Valmiki’s Ramayana. They said that they took it from the Adbhuta Ramayan book. Ramayana ek hi thi jo Valmiki ji ne likhi thi. How can he dare to speak about Ramayan? Yeh himmat aap kisi aur dharam mein karke dikhaiye. Kya aap Quran ya Bible se chhed chad kar sakte hai? Agar nahi toh aapki hamare Geeta aur Ramayan se chhed chad karne ki himmat kaise hui. Stop putting your own narrative in the Ramayana of Valmiki. Sharam aani chahiye aapko."

What is Ramayana Part 1 about?

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana Part 1 features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.

The much-awaited mythological epic arrived in cinemas on November 5, ahead of Diwali. The film has been drawing audiences to theatres and has made a strong start at the worldwide box office.