'Sita' Dipika Chikhlia Calls Sai Pallavi's Casting In Ramayana Historically Inaccurate: Sitaji With Curly Hair Not...

Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana is one of the biggest Indian movies that is lined up for release. The Dangal director has been working on bringing the mythological adaptation to life for over a decade now. It has been planned as a 2-part film, with part 1 set to arrive on Diwali later this year. Ramayana Part 2, meanwhile, is expected to make its theatrical debut on Diwali next year. The team has begun promotions, and the trailer is expected to reveal the first glimpse at what's in store for fans. At the fan event Pratham Sankalp hosted recently, the Ramayana trailer was debuted for select audiences. The asset was supposed to be released on July 24 on YouTube, but it stands delayed for now.

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Meanwhile, Ramayana has been at the centre of scrutiny, with many questioning its casting choices. Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Sai Pallavi as Sita have faced criticism for "not looking the part". In an interview, actress Dipika Chikhlia, who essayed Sita in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, reacted to South actress Sai's casting in the pivotal role. The Thandel star's struggle with spoken Hindi has invited trolling.

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About her casting in Ramayana, Dipika told Variety India, “I have seen her work. She’s a phenomenal actor. But I don’t know how she’ll look like Sita. Once we see her, we’ll know. At the moment, I have no clue. The description of Sita in Tulsidas’ Ramayan was that of a woman with almond eyes, a certain height, hair and skin. That’s what Ramanand Sagar was looking for, and he saw it in me. I know all of them are good actors. If they fit the bill, then it’s good.” She added, "Sitaji with curly hair is not mentioned in Ramayan."

While Arun Govil, who played Lord Ram in Ramayan, plays King Dashrath in Nitesh Ramayana, Dipika has not been cast in the upcoming adaptation. Yash plays Ravana in Ramayana, while Ravie Dubey features as Lakshman and Sunny Deol plays Lord Hanuman.