Kunal Kapoor Addresses Criticisms and Discussions Surrounding Ramayana: Plenty of it exists to go viral

Kunal Kapoor is all set to storm the big screens as Lord Indra Dev in what has shaped up as one of the biggest releases of the year, Ramayana. The actor has now opened up about his experience of working in the magnum opus, describing it as one of the most ambitious releases to come out of the Indian film industry. Kunal mentions that the film’s strength lies in presenting the epic in a new manner.

“With the Ramayana, everyone already knows the story. You can’t change it, and you shouldn’t. We’ve grown up with it, we’ve seen countless retellings, it’s part of who we are. What’s exciting about this film is that the story stays the same but the experience is entirely new. The way it’s shot, the action, the music. You’ll walk in knowing exactly what happens and still walk out having felt something you haven’t felt before,” he says.

Kunal further described the experience as something he will carry with him. The actor says, “I’ve never been on a set like that. It was quiet. Almost meditative. You could feel that everyone knew they were part of something that mattered. To do that with a story that’s such an important part of our cultural heritage, alongside people who love what they’re saying, is something I’ll carry with me.”

The actor also addressed the online criticism and discussions surrounding the film’s visuals, outfits and creative choices. He said, “I don’t spend much time with it. Everyone has social media now. Some of that comes from people who understand the craft, or from an audience that loves this story and wants the best version of it, and that opinion is worth hearing. But plenty of it exists to go viral, to be the interesting thing someone said that day. You can’t chase all of it.”

“You focus on the work. Nitesh sir and Namit have put so much into this that no stone will be left unturned,” he concludes.

Ramayana brings Kunal Kapoor together with a grand ensemble cast including Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, Sunny Deol, Lara Dutta and several others. The film is slated to release this year on November 6.