Playing a revered mythological figure on screen invites fierce public scrutiny. Sai Pallavi knew that going in.
As director Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana tears through domestic box office tracking sheets—grossing ₹753.89 crore in India over its first 10 days—the actor has singled out the costume that anchored her performance as Sita. It was neither the heavily embroidered ceremonial silks nor the austerity garb of exile. Instead, she chose a deceptively simple drape.
"I would say the one where Ram gifts me a little flower," Pallavi said in an interview with FABUK Magazine, revisiting an intimate frame shared opposite Ranbir Kapoor’s Lord Ram. "I have a blue saree and a magenta border. Yeah, so that one where he gifts a rose to me and then he places it in my hair. I really like that saree."
Pallavi credited the tactile build of the garment for grounding the sequence.
"I think the material was great. I think the colour is amazing," she noted. "The colour, the material and the way it sat on my body felt perfect."
The physical drape was only half the weight. The cultural baggage carried by the character produced raw, unscripted reactions behind the scenes.
Pallavi recalled stepping back into her vanity van following an emotionally demanding take, only for her dialect coach to drop to her knees and touch her feet. The reverential gesture stopped the actor in her tracks.
She knows I am Sai Pallavi, but sometimes when you play a character that you worship every day, when you have a connection with it like your mother, and when somebody embodies it, you do not care about whether that's an actor or any other human being. You just want that love.
Pallavi admitted the exchange quickly stripped away all professional detachment.
"So when she did that, even before she started to cry, I started to cry," Pallavi told creator Pallavi Raj. "I said, 'What are you even doing?' So it's just that moment that made me feel the character speaks so much more to so many people."
Tiwari's cinematic adaptation arrived in cinemas on November 5, staging Kapoor as Ram against Kannada star Yash's imposing antagonist Ravana. The wider ensemble features Sonia Balani as Urmila—a role Balani secured through open auditions—and Lara Dutta, who previously pushed back against internet commentary targeting Pallavi’s portrayal of a firmer, warrior-inflected Sita by telling critics to stop being small-minded.
| Parameter | Production Detail |
|---|---|
| Theatrical Release Date | November 5 |
| Director | Nitesh Tiwari |
| Lead Cast | Ranbir Kapoor (Ram), Sai Pallavi (Sita), Yash (Ravana) |
| Supporting Cast | Sonia Balani (Urmila), Lara Dutta |
| India Gross Collection (Day 10) | ₹753.89 Crore |