The trailer of Nitesh Tiwari‘s Ramayana created a huge buzz among audiences. While many appreciated the film’s VFX, scale and visuals, a debate also erupted over Sai Pallavi’s styling as Sita and Lara Dutta‘s costume as Kaikeyi. Amid the backlash, Sai’s Ramayana co-star, Surabhi Das, has defended the film’s styling.
Surabhi Das reacts to styling criticism
Reacting to the criticism surrounding Sita’s blouse in the film, Surabhi, who plays Sita’s cousin and Shatrughan’s wife Shrutakirti, told Zoom, “I feel people will always have something to say. Agar hum Sita ko blouse nahi pehnate, tab bhi logon ka opinion hota ki unko blouse kaise nahi pehnaya. Jab blouse pehnaya tab bhi problem hai (If we didn’t make Sita wear a blouse, people would still have an opinion about why she wasn’t wearing one. Even when we make her wear a blouse, there’s still a problem). People will always point out things. The Ramayana is a huge project, and you can’t expect everyone to agree with or like it. I am not saying sab kuch perfect hoga, but please wait for the film. You will understand what they are offering only after going to theatres.”
She added that the scale of the movie would overshadow such criticism and said, “The film has been mounted on such a huge scale that people won’t even notice all these things. There have been so many films on the Ramayana before this as well; I am sure people had things to say. They must have had disagreements, and that is bound to happen. You can’t please everybody. Ab ismein blouse pehnaya toh bhi problem, nahi pehnaya toh bhi problem (Now, there’s a problem whether she wears a blouse or doesn’t wear one).”
Before Surabhi, the film’s costume designers, Rimple and Harpreet Narulah, also reacted to the criticism. They acknowledged that, since the Ramayana is an epic that has existed in the collective consciousness of several generations, opinions about its casting, costumes and visual effects were bound to emerge.
Rimple clarified that Sai’s styling as Sita was her personal interpretation of the goddess she had grown up worshipping. She also explained that there are no surviving pieces of clothing from the Treta Yuga that could serve as direct references for the costumes. Instead, the designers drew inspiration from the artistic depictions of the characters that people have seen over generations.
About Ramayana
Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana also stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, along with Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi and Arun Govil in key roles. Backed by Namit Malhotra and Yash, the film is mounted on a staggering budget of ₹4,000 crore. It will release in two parts, with the first part hitting the screens on Diwali 2026.
