When I first saw the initial promo of Siya ke Ram around Jan-Feb 2015 my first thought was who will play Ram. Because from the title itself it was clear that the show's USP was going to be Ram. Ram is a very complex character. Because what defines Ram is the serenity in his eyes. A kind of serenity that allures you and gives you peace. And this serenity never leaves Ram's eyes even in the toughest situations he faced in his life. So the actor playing Ram has to show all emotions without sacrificing the serenity in the eyes. Because there is no Ram without serenity in eyes.
Another aspect of Ram is he is handsome. Remarkably handsome. He has to own the screen when he stands. Just like the Thygaraja Keerthana says " Ravisomavara nethra, Ramaniya Gathra ( The eyes in which sun and moon shines and the one who has handsome body). Yes Ram is Kamalanetra. The eyes has to be beautiful over and above the face and other features. And it has to be masculine, not the chocolate boy handsomeness.
Then comes the voice. As much as you read about Ram you will know if you want to experience Ram the voice has to be soothing something that lulls your senses to a level that gives inner peace. And this soothing feeling has to be there with all emotions. Or rather the dialogue delivery has to be perfect.
Even if one aspect goes wrong feel of Ram is gone. That was when I read Ashish Sharma is going to do Ram. Believe me I was like gone. I have not watched Rang Rasiya. But know tit bits of it. I knew the leading man of the show was an angry young man. An army officer. And from some stills of the show I saw online Ashish Sharma didn't look Ram from any angle. I didn't feel he was handsome enough or his eyes looked Kamalanetra to play Ram( Fans please forgive me for this , but that is the truth).
Then I read he did mediatation and all to play the role of Ram. So I anyways decided to wait. Guy seems to have put some effort let me see. What unfolded was an experience that cannot be explained in words. Ashish nailed Ram. I cannot say which scene was the best, because there were many. But what I liked the most about him was his eyes. The expression in his eyes were remarkable. He bought that twinkle in the eyes that showed Hari's Leela without missing the serenity. If the scene in Kopabhavan was superlative the scenes that followed it were over and above superlative. He defined every role of Ram son, brother, lover, husband, warrior, leader, king, father and finally we could see Lord Narayan himself in Ram.
If that was not enough he carried Ravan in Ram. And only in that eyes we could see Ravan and nowhere else. He did magic with his eyes. The episodes leading to BP if not for Ashish's eyes we would have never been able to understand the difference of Hari's leela and the actions of Ram. The dialogues confused you, but Ashish carried the full story in his eyes. We have heard about Krishna ki leela. But Ashish proved Leela can be showed for Ram also without losing the essence of Ram. Afterall Ram is also Hari.
Now leave eyes. Did he look Ram otherwise. Yes he looked Ram every inch. He defined every poet's imagination of Ram.
And dialogue delivery. The voice modulation he bought was so so good that even in anger we could get the soothing feeling.
All in all if Siya Ke Ram is success the major credit goes to the man who played the title role to perfection or rather I will say beyond perfection. He did full justice to a remarkable script and a good direction.
Another thing I want to highlight about Ashish after watching SKR is that Ashish has kind of a versatility which you see in very few actors. Or rather let me tell if he puts effort and gets great scripts in shows and Bollywood he has the capacity to reach the heights where Padmashree Bharath Mohanlal reached.
Why I have highlighted this celebrated Malayalam actor. It is because he is one actor I have found among many actors I have seen who could carry the role of an underworld don Vincent Gomez in Rajavinte Makan, a mental patient in Thalavattom, a maverick psychatricist of Manichitrathazhu, boy next door of TP Balagopalan MA, emotionally torn brother of Bharatham, a family man torn between his love and wife in Pakshe and Alzhemier's patient in Thanmatra and spoilt brat in Devasuram with such perfection that we feel he is the character. I have only highlighted some of the best characters of Mohanlal but each of the movies he did in 80's and 90s were different and each role he lived.
Whenever a Malayalam movie is remade to Hindi or Tamil especially Hindi we Keralites will always crib who is going to do Mohanlal's role since there is no actor we could find in Bollywood who could justice to the roles he did. Akshay kumar is fine in Bhool Bhulaiyya but you should never think of Dr Sunny in Manichitrathazhu, but other actors we have felt banging our head against the wall when we think about the original.
First time I felt an actor can do justice to those roles in Hindi in Ashish if given a chance. He will rule the screen if ever he is given the role of Vincent Gomez if Rajavinte Makan is made in Hindi. Because Ashish can bring the nuance such well author backed roles need. Mohanlal was lucky to get great scripts to prove his versatility as an actor and he went onto win National Awards also.
I wish Ashish also gets great scripts which will show his potential as an actor and take him to new heights. He is an actor whom you can imagine in a Kalidasa Classic, a Jeffrey Archer adaptation or a contemporary love story. Wishing you all the best Ashish Sharma. Siya ke Ram belonged to you.
PS: I am not a Ashish Fan. SKR is the first show where I have watched Ashish
