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Actor Gajendra Chauhan, known for portraying Yudhishthira in the television serial 'Mahabharat', has expressed his views about the title of the upcoming film 'Ramayana' and the increasing use of visual effects in mythological productions, saying that preserving India's cultural originality and emotional authenticity is essential to bringing epics to the screen.
Chauhan congratulated the makers of 'Ramayana' on the project but said he preferred the traditional names 'Ramayan' and 'Mahabharat'. He emphasised that Indian mythological stories should retain their original identity rather than adapting their names to suit other cultures. "I congratulate the makers of 'Ramayana'. The film has been made with a lot of money, and I hope it works and earns for them. But I have a few points of my own. I have worked in mythology for so many years and have done almost hundreds of mythological serials. I have never heard the word 'Ramayana'. It is 'Ramayan'. Similarly, it is 'Mahabharat', not 'Mahabharta'," Chauhan told ANI. 'Ramayana' features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Rocking Star Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotras Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with 8-time Oscar-winning DNEG and Yashs Monster Mind Creations, the film is envisioned as a two-part epic. Part 1 will release worldwide on 5 November 2026, followed by Part 2 in Diwali 2027. He said India's cultural heritage should be presented to international audiences without changing its original identity, adding that the country should encourage people from other cultures to embrace Indian traditions rather than altering its own practices to suit them. "We should try to bring other people into our culture, rather than adopting their culture. People in the West are adopting Indian culture, with 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' being popular there. Our originality should remain intact," he said. Reflecting on the difference between earlier mythological television productions and contemporary projects, Chauhan said the emotional connection that once defined performances, dialogues, costumes and sets appeared to be missing in many modern productions. "The soul is gone. Earlier, dialogues had a soul, sets had a soul, costumes had a soul, and actors had a soul," he said. Recalling his experience of working on 'Mahabharat', Chauhan said the cast was deeply involved in the subject throughout the production. " You have to put your soul into the project, whether it is in the writing, the sets, the costumes or the acting," he said. He also expressed concern that the extensive use of visual effects and computer-generated imagery could affect the sense of realism in mythological films. While acknowledging that younger audiences accustomed to animated content might enjoy such presentations, he said lasting success would depend on the emotional depth of the storytelling. He further said established star images could make it difficult for actors to be identified with mythological characters in the same way as performers from earlier television adaptations. Referring to Arun Govil's enduring association with Lord Rama and his own identification with Yudhishthira decades after 'Mahabharat', Chauhan said the lasting impact of such characters reflected the importance of authenticity and involvement in portraying mythological figures. (ANI)
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