New Delhi: Actor Dipika Chikhlia, famed for her role as Sita in Doordarshan’s Ramayan series, has addressed the ongoing criticism surrounding Ranbir Kapoor’s portrayal of the Hindu deity Ram in the upcoming epic.
Speaking to Harshvardhan Pathak during the Hindu Rush podcast, Chikhlia said that an actor is an actor, and it doesn’t matter whether he has played characters Barfi! (2012) or Animal (2023).
“Someone who can do Animal can do Ram, too. Imagine his good luck—it’s his good fortune that he’s getting such a variety of roles,” she said.
Arun Govil, who starred alongside Chikhlia in the 1980s television series as Ram, will be playing Dasharath in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming film. However, the actor revealed that she was not offered any role.
Chikhlia went on to praise Sai Pallavi and shared that she has watched several of her films.
“Since she is playing Sita, I don’t want to say anything negative—why should I,” she said, adding that she never wants to speak ill of anyone’s project and that the final result can only be judged after the film’s release.
“She will be good because she is an experienced and talented actor,” Chikhlia remarked.
Referring to the debate over the accuracy of Ramayan adaptations, especially after the release of Adipurush in 2023, she said that filmmakers should remain faithful to the original texts.
“These are our sacred scriptures, so we shouldn’t tamper with them,” she added, urging filmmakers to stay as close as possible to the original texts, whether adapting from Valmiki’s Ramayan or Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas.
“If you are making Ramayan, then make the Ramayan. Don’t bring in extra fiction that the general audience isn’t aware of,” she added.
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A notch above stardom
Chikhlia further reflected on the popularity of Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan. She said that after the series aired across India, she and Govil reached a level of fame beyond that of film stars.
“There are actors, stars, superstars, and then there is a level above superstars. To me, that was almost the status of a demigod. People treat superstars like gods, but this was almost literally a demigod status,” Chikhlia said.
The actor also shared how people would bring their sick children to the set, believing she or Govil could heal them.
“People used to come to our studio saying, ‘My child is sick, please bless him.’ Arun ji or I had to tell them, ‘Please take your child to a doctor, don’t bring them here,'” she revealed.
The 61-year-old actor added that many people also kept photographs of Ram and Sita from the show in their home temples.
Chikhlia further said that today’s actors are unlikely to experience that kind of reverence because audiences have become more aware that actors are simply playing characters.
“I don’t think anyone will face the same issues or friction as before. Things have changed dramatically,” she added.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)