Suhail Nayyar owes his casting in one of Indian cinema’s biggest current roles, Vanar Raj Sugriva in Nitesh Tiwari‘s ‘Ramayana’, to a performance he’d given earlier in his career. Known for playing Tommy, Shahid Kapoor’s cousin, in ‘Udta Punjab’, the actor opened up about how he landed this highly coveted part, and how that past performance convinced Tiwari he had found his Sugriva.
Suhail Nayyar recalls the call that changed everything
In an interview with Variety India, the actor said, “I got a call from Mukesh (Chhabra) sir for the part, and I’ll always be indebted to him for giving me the honor of playing Vanar Raj Sugriva. On my first day on set, Nitesh (Tiwari) sir told me that he had loved my performance in ‘Saare Jahan Se Achha’ and that was one of the reasons he saw me as Sugriva in ‘Ramayana: Part Two’. That was incredibly reassuring to hear.”
Suhail Nayyar on the responsibility of playing Sugriva
On the weight of responsibility that comes with taking on such a role, Nayyar said, “I genuinely believe some parts come to you through something larger than yourself. When a character has lived in people’s consciousness for generations, you don’t take that lightly. It feels like an honor, but it also comes with a greater responsibility. There’s very little I can reveal about the film or the character right now. All I can say is that I understand the responsibility I’ve been given, and I’m going to do everything I want to do justice to it.“
Suhail Nayyar’s upcoming projects
Suhail has quite a diverse slate of projects lined up next. “There’s ‘Udta Teer’, ‘Single Papa’ Season 2, ‘Ramayana: Part Two’, and Vir Das’s ‘Baara Number.’ They’re all very different from each other, which is what excites me the most. I’ve always wanted to move between different worlds rather than be confined to one kind of part. It feels like a very exciting phase for me as an actor,” Nayyar said.
More about ‘Ramayana’ and its star-studded cast
‘Ramayana’ is set to unfold across two parts, with the first releasing globally in October 2026, just ahead of Diwali, and the second following during Diwali 2027. The ensemble cast is headlined by Ranbir Kapoor, joined by Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash taking on the role of arch-villain Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, Arun Govil as King Dasharatha, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Indra Krishnan as Sumitra, Vivek Oberoi as Vidythjiva, Shobana as Kaikesi, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Kunal Kapoor as Indra, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara, and Anupam Kher voicing Jatayu, among other cast members.
