As anticipation builds around Ramayana, actor Sunil Lahri—best known for playing Lakshman in Ramanand Sagar’s iconic TV serial—has shared a balanced take on the teaser of Ramayana. While he is hopeful about the film’s scale and intent, Lahri believes certain emotional aspects need more depth.Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana.
‘I liked and disliked certain things in the teaser’
The teaser has sparked mixed reactions online, with some praising its scale while others questioned the visual effects. Reacting to the same, Lahri told PTI, “I liked and disliked certain things in the teaser. I can only wish and hope that they will make a landmark film for our country, present our culture properly and evoke the right emotions among the world audience through ‘Ramayana’.”
‘Ranbir is a very good actor, but will the audience accept him as Ram?’
Lahri praised Ranbir Kapoor’s acting abilities but raised concerns about whether the actor fits the emotional essence of Lord Ram.“Ranbir is no doubt a very good actor, I really like his body of work and he will definitely perform very well. But will the audience accept him as Ram or not is the question,” he said.He further pointed out a specific moment from the teaser that didn’t work for him. “The scene where Ranbir steps out in the light, the innocence that the first appearance should have had, it was not there. I didn’t like that, I felt it was a little harsh, the innocence was missing.”
‘Without emotion, even a beautiful painting feels incomplete’
While Lahri appreciated the visuals, music, and overall scale, he stressed that emotional depth is crucial for a story like Ramayana, adding that ‘without emotion, even a beautiful painting feels incomplete’“If there is no emotion, then the painting is not good. The look of Ranbir was good, the music was also good, the effects created were good… overall effects were good.“I hope they don’t do blunders. If they think they want to show themselves differently, and do something where people will say, ‘wow’, then should understand that wow factor (referring to visuals) doesn’t work here, it works in science fiction films.”
‘Demons looked like they are out of a Hollywood sci-fi film’
The veteran actor also expressed disappointment with the depiction of demons in the teaser, saying it felt too stylised, like they are out of a Hollywood sci-fi film. “What we made was very basic. Although, the effects were not that strong but it was close to reality. Look at the costumes, the crowns were made of solid brass, they were heavy,” he said, recalling his experience working on Ramayan.“There was no AC, there was no vanity, it used to feel like you are working in 200-degree temperature because the costumes and the accessories were so heavy,” Lahri added. Ramayana is envisioned as a two-part live-action saga set 5,000 years ago, rooted in one of Indian mythology’s most enduring epics. The film is produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios and DNEG, in association with Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, and is slated for a Diwali 2026 release.
