For newcomer Nitish Sharma, his journey to Nitesh Tiwari’s much-awaited Ramayana took an unexpected turn. After facing several rejections and being replaced in a major film, Sharma auditioned for the role of Lakshman. Although he did not eventually get the part, his performance impressed the filmmaker, who offered him the role of Shatrughn in the epic.
In an exclusive conversation with Mid-Day, Nitish opened up about his journey, working with Ranbir Kapoor and the criticism surrounding the film’s casting. Recalling the difficult phase that eventually led him to Ramayana, Nitish said that he had gone through hundreds of auditions before finally landing a major role in a big film in 2023. However, he was later replaced by a senior actor. The setback left him disappointed, but he found comfort in reading the Ramcharitmanas.
“I was trying to find peace by reading the sacred book. When I was reading the Bharat Milap scene, I received a call from Mukesh Chhabra's office saying that Nitesh Tiwari was making a pilot film of Ramayana and they wanted to test me for Lakshman. So I did,” he recalled.
During the audition, Nitish was asked to perform scenes as Lakshman before Nitesh Tiwari asked him to play Ram. His performance impressed the director, who assured him that he would be part of the main film. Nitish was eventually cast as Shatrughn, while Lakshman is being played by Ravie Dubey.
Explaining why he was not selected as Lakshman, Nitish said, “For the actual film, it was clear that in every character there would be big stars. And in such a big-scale movie, there are many things involved. But I have zero complaints about it.”
Nitish also spoke about his experience of working with Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Ram. He praised the actor’s humility and professionalism, particularly the way he continued giving cues to co-stars even after finishing his own scenes.
“Whenever we were shooting together, the way he gave all the cues to me, even when his scene was over, was amazing. He always gives his cues by himself to every actor, no matter if it is 10 times, 12 times or 15 times. He treats everyone with humility,” he said.
Addressing criticism of Ranbir’s casting, Nitish said, “It is actually very sad that people judge someone by just one look. Ranbir is the greatest actor we have in this industry right now. After watching the movie, I am telling you, they will praise Ranbir as Ram. No one could have done it better than RK.”
He also defended Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita, amid criticism of her appearance and casting. “Sai, she looks divine in real life. She is the best casting for Sita. There are many trolls about her as well. But that is how a 99 per cent Indian beauty looks like,” he said.
Nitish remains confident that Ramayana will connect strongly with audiences. “I am very sure that Ramayana will create magic once again, just like it did in 1987 with Ramanand Sagar,” he concluded.
Also Read : BREAKING: EXCLUSIVE footage of Ramayana to be screened at Big Cine Expo 2026, Chennai; Rakesh Roshan to receive Special Achievement Award
