Indira Krishnan opens up about Ranbir Kapoor's transformation from Animal to Ramayana: ‘His dedication is 200%'

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

Actor Indira Krishnan, who played Ranbir Kapoor's mother-in-law in Animal, is now working alongside him again in Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming mythological epic Ramayan. This time, she takes on the role of Kaushalya, Lord Ram's mother and she says the contrast in Ranbir's performance between the two films is nothing short of extraordinary. Actor Indira Krishnan discusses Ranbir Kapoor's transformation for his role as Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayan in a new interview.
Indira spills the beans of Ranbir shift from Animal to Ramayana
In a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, Indira opened up about witnessing Ranbir's intense preparation and complete transformation into the divine character of Lord Ram.
'That boy has not only worked on his physicality, but the way his eyes talk—it is something else. Lord Ram's shoulders are very strong because he has to carry a bow and arrow so he worked on his shoulders and body. He would work out for 3-4 hours, and would come to sets early by 7 AM. After packing up, he would tell me about different kinds of workouts he would do to transform for the character. The dedication was 200 per cent," Indira said.
Indira, who shared screen space with Ranbir in the gritty, violent world of Animal, said the shift in his body language and presence on the Ramayan set was remarkable. 'When I saw him first in Lord Ram's avatar, for a sequence where he's having a sandalwood ceremony, I was stunned. The way he sat, his stance, the calm in his eyes, his face—the ease with which he carried himself—I think it is the plus point of Ramayana. You can see the full contrast between the rowdiness of Animal and Ramayan's divinity. I am the only actor to witness it as an actor. He went into more of a discipline while working on Ramayana. He would stay in character even while talking to people," she added.
About Ramayana
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana is an ambitious cinematic retelling of the revered Indian epic. The film features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, with Kannada star Yash portraying the formidable Ravana. Planned as a two-part saga, the project promises a visually spectacular and emotionally powerful narrative, blending mythological grandeur with modern storytelling.
The first installment is scheduled to release on Diwali 2026, followed by Part 2 in Diwali 2027. With a stellar cast and high production values, Ramayana is poised to become a landmark film.