Ramayana adaptation hits a roadblock: Nitesh Tiwari's project faces uncertainty; fans await casting news

Director Nitesh Tiwari's highly anticipated visual adaptation of the timeless epic Ramayana has encountered a major setback, as the project has been put on hold indefinitely. However, speculations were rife about the involvement of A-list actors, adding to the excitement surrounding the film. Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi were rumoured to be in talks for the iconic roles of Ram and Sita, respectively. 

Furthermore, other prominent names such as Mahesh Babu, Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, and Yash were reportedly approached for various pivotal characters. A report from Pinkvilla has stated that the initial plan was to commence filming in the summer of 2023, but it seems that unforeseen circumstances have forced a change of plans.

According to reports from ETimes, Nitesh Tiwari, who is currently engrossed in his ongoing project titled Bawaal starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor, has decided to postpone Ramayana indefinitely. The director intends to focus on another venture once he wraps up his current commitments. As of now, there has been no official statement from Tiwari regarding the reasons behind this decision, leaving fans and industry insiders curious about the future of the project.

The casting developments for Ramayana have also witnessed their fair share of changes and uncertainties. Initially, Deepika Padukone was approached to portray the character of Sita, while Hrithik Roshan was considered for the role of the formidable Raavan. However, due to the lack of progress on the project, Hrithik chose to step away, citing prior commitments. This led to speculation about Yash, of KGF fame, being approached for the role of Raavan. Sources suggest that Yash has shown keen interest in the film's pre-visualization and has been engaged in discussions with the team.

In the midst of these developments, it has been revealed that Deepika Padukone will now be seen as Draupadi in a different project under the same production house. Consequently, the makers approached Sai Pallavi to portray the pivotal role of Sita in Ramayana.