Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi-starrer Ramayana was released in theatres on November 5, and its visuals, characters and key sequences have been drawing attention. One particular scene has sparked debate, showing Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita, picking up a sword and fighting a group of demons.
Director Nitesh Tiwari had described Sita's warrior portrayal as being inspired by the Adbhuta Ramayana during the film's Los Angeles premiere. However, viewers have been divided over the sequence. While some have questioned its departure from the Valmiki Ramayana, others have supported the creative choice, pointing to the Adbhuta Ramayana as its reference.
Now, Dipika Chikhlia, who portrayed Sita in Ramanand Sagar's iconic 1987 television adaptation of Ramayana, has shared her thoughts. She said she doesn't recall reading about Sita fighting in this manner in the versions of the epic she's familiar with.
Dipika Chikhlia Reacts To Sai Pallavi's Action Scene
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Chikhlia said the versions of the Ramayana she had read and understood did not feature Sita fighting demons in the way shown in the film.
She said, "Mujhe sacch mai nahi pata. Hamari Ramayana ka ek bahut bada hissa Valmiki ki Ramayana aur Tulsidas ki Ramayana mai hai. Mujhe nahi pata ki inme se kisi mai bhi uss tarah se scene the. Lekin hamare desh mai 300 se zyada Ramayana hai. Har kahani, har Ramayana dusri se thodi alag hoti hai. Toh ho sakta hai ki makers ne kisi Ramayana se kuch liya ho, jiske baare mai mujhe nahi pata." [I genuinely don't know. A large part of our Ramayana is based on Valmiki's Ramayana and Tulsidas' Ramayana. I don't remember either of them having scenes like that. However, there are more than 300 versions of the Ramayana in our country. Every story, every Ramayana, is slightly different from the others. So, perhaps the makers have taken something from a version of the Ramayana that I am not aware of.]
Chikhlia also clarified that she hasn't watched Nitesh Tiwari's complete Ramayana yet. She had only seen a glimpse of Sai Pallavi's action sequence on Instagram and plans to watch the film after Diwali.
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Why Is Sai Pallavi's Warrior Sita Scene Being Discussed?
The sequence in question appears in a forest episode in Part 1 of Ramayana. During their exile, Ram, Sita and Lakshman encounter the demon army led by Khara and Dushana.
According to the Valmiki Ramayana, Ram takes on the demon forces himself and asks Lakshman to move Sita to a safe place. The film presents the episode differently, showing Sita, played by Sai Pallavi, picking up a sword and fighting the demons alongside the events unfolding around her.
This change in the portrayal of Sita has prompted contrasting reactions from viewers, bringing the different versions and interpretations of the epic into the discussion.