Ramayana - Kunal Kapoor joins Nitesh Tiwari’s film with Ranbir Kapoor

There is a lot of excitement to watch Ranbir Kapoor play Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwari’s film, Ramayana. The buzz around the film has been high ever since it was announced. Recent reports claim that Rang De Basanti actor Kunal Kapoor has joined the star cast.

Kunal Kapoor joins Ramayana

According to a report by Pinkvilla, Kunal Kapoor has joined the star cast of Ramayana and has already begun preparing for the film. Even though the makers have not released an official statement about this, the actor has been busy with rehearsals and costume trials.

Another report by Mid Day has revealed that the makers of the film have commissioned Mumbai's Filmcity to build 12 lavish sets. The reports claim that the primary function of these sets is to facilitate the 3D shooting of the film, depicting Ayodhya, Mithila and other locations of Ram and Sita's wedding.

Cast of Ramayana

While Ranbir will play the role of Lord Ram, South Indian superstar Sai Pallavi will play Sita Mata in Ramayana. The film also stars Arun Govil as King Dasharath, Yash as Ravana, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara.

The first schedule of the film’s shooting has been completed and the cast will begin shooting for the second schedule at the end of August.

According to reports, the makers have decided to split the plot of Ramayana into two parts because of the film's magnanimous scale. A source told Bollywood Hungama, "Ramayana is not just a film but an emotion and the makers are leaving no stone unturned to make it a global spectacle. The $100 million (₹835 crore) budget is just for Ramayana: Part One. He (producer Namit Malhotra) plans to expand this further as the franchise grows. The idea is to take the audience on a visual treat with Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram."

"In INR terms, the budget of Ramayana is close to ₹835 crore. The film requires 600 days of post-production work, which in itself speaks volumes about the investment required to create some of the most original visuals on the spectacle. The idea is to take Indian cinema to the global level," the source added.