Sai Pallavi replaces Alia Bhatt in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana starring Ranbir Kapoor, Yash?

Nitesh Tiwari has been making headlines ever since he announced making a film based on the Indian epic Ramayana. After Adipurush's release, it was rumoured that Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt will play the role of Ram and Sita in Ramayana, respectively. While Yash will be seen playing the role of Ravana aka Lankesh. However, latest reports suggest that Bhatt has been replaced by south star Sai Pallavi, who will now be playing the role of Sita. 

3 things you need to know

• Nitesh Tiwari to reportedly begin filming Ramayana from February 2024. 
• Reportedly, the entire world of Ramayana has already been created with the use of VFX. 
• Alia Bhatt reportedly opted out of the film due to date issues. 

Sai Pallavi to replace Alia Bhatt?

According to a Pinkvilla report, actors Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash have already completed look test for their respective roles in Nitesh Tiwari's film. A source close to the portal said, “Ranbir and Sai Pallavi will start shooting for the film around the month of February 2024. The first part of the trilogy will focus more on Lord Ram and Sita, leading towards the conflict of Sita Haran. The duo will be shooting for the film from February till August 2024, before calling it a wrap for Ramayana: Part One. Yash has a rather extended appearance in Ramayana: Part One, however, his character will dominate the proceedings in the second part, which is set in Sri Lanka. He has allotted 15 days to shoot for Ramayana: Part One”.

The source added, "Nitesh Tiwari and team have been working actively on creating the world of Ramayana and the blueprint is finally all ready. The VFX plates are prepared by the Oscar Winning Company, DNEG and it’s a world that would blow away the minds of audiences. However, the strength of Ramayana won’t be the visual but the simplistic storytelling and compelling inter-character emotions."

Why did Alia leave the project?

Previously Pinkvilla reported the reason behind Alia Bhatt's removal from the film. The actress reportedly opted out of the film due to date issues. A source close to the portal said,  "It's understandable that a magnum opus like Ramayana requires time and intense pre-production work, as they are going into the smallest details of everything to get it right on screen. Which is why things are progressing at a slower pace. Also, as far as the casting is concerned, Ranbir Kapoor is still committed to playing Lord Ram, while Alia Bhatt, who was approached for the project, is no longer part of it. The actress was in talks for the role of Goddess Sita, but the collaboration didn’t work out because of date issues.”

Though these reports have been making the rounds on social media, an official confirmation from the makers is awaited. So far, neither Nitesh Tiwari nor the above mentioned actors have commented on these reports. However, after the underperformance of Prabhas starrer Adipurush, people are eyeing on what Nitesh Tiwari has to offer in his version of the epic. 

Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor previously starred together in the 2022 film Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, that's the only feature film of the real life couple. They tied the knot in April 2022 and welcomed daughter Raha in November of the same year. Meanwhile, Sai Pallavi is famously known for her roles in Gargi and Love Story among others.