Mumbai, September 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Actor Dev Sharma, who plays Lord Ram in the upcoming film Shri Ramayan Katha, has revealed that he was initially hesitant about taking on the role and even questioned the need for another cinematic adaptation of the epic.
Dev said his reservations were partly driven by the scale of another Ramayan project already in production, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi.
Speaking exclusively, Dev recalled receiving a call from director Abhishek Singh one Sunday while he was having aloo parathas. Singh told him that the team was making a Ramayan and wanted him to play Lord Ram.
“I still remember it was Sunday. I was eating aloo parathas at around 11 or 12 on Sunday. And I get a call from Abhishek Ji. And he said, ‘Sir, we belong from here and we are making a Ramayan.’ I said, ‘Sir, I won’t do Ramayan. You must have offered for Lakshman, right? Or for Ravan?’” Dev recalled.
The actor explained that he initially assumed he was being considered for a character such as Lakshman or Ravan because most of his previous roles had been modern or more forceful in nature.
“But he said, ‘No, I have called you for the role of Lord Ram.’ And I was like… I asked him to repeat what he was saying. I said, ‘You are saying Ram?’ He said, ‘No, I am seeing you in Ram.’ And I was like, ‘Sir, I am not completely convinced with this,’” he said.
Dev also questioned the makers about taking on the subject when another large-scale adaptation was already being made.
“Already a Ramayan of Rs 1,200 crore is being made with such big stars. So why do you want to make this film?” he recalled asking.
At that point, his late father, who was sitting beside him, offered simple advice: instead of asking too many questions, Dev should meet the filmmakers.
“My dad was sitting next to me. He is no more. I lost him two years ago. But he was sitting right next to me. And he said, ‘Rather than asking so many questions, why don’t you just go and meet them?’” Dev said.
Although he had planned to spend the Sunday with his father, Dev followed his advice and met the team.
The actor said Shri Ramayan Katha seeks to preserve the authenticity of the story audiences have heard, read and seen over the years while introducing elements that can connect with younger viewers.
“Then there is a very big part which is a little different from other Ramayanas. At the same time, the authenticity of Ramayana, which we have heard, seen and read from history, is all the same. But today’s generation, for them, there is something to connect,” he said.
Shri Ramayan Katha is scheduled to release on September 25.
FOLLOW NOW
