Mukesh Khanna has taken issue with the way Mata Sita is portrayed in Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana‘, specifically a scene where she is shown in an action sequence. Speaking in his latest vlog, the ‘Shaktimaan’ actor said that Valmiki’s Ramayana does not present Sita as a warrior. He also challenged producer Namit Malhotra’s statement that the sequence was not based on Valmiki’s version of the epic.
Mukesh Khanna on ‘Ramayana’ makers and Rs 4,000 crore budget
In his latest vlog, Mukesh accused the makers of ‘Ramayana’ of taking liberties with the revered text and adding their own interpretations to the story. He also wondered whether the makers were more focused on recovering the film’s reported Rs 4,000 crore budget than on staying faithful to the source material. In his video, he said, “Ramayana film release hui jisse Ramayan kaha jaa raha hai aur uske andar poore desh mein behes chidi hui hai aur main mudda kamayi ka ho gaya hai ki humne banaya hai Rs 400 crore ya Rs 4000 crore usko kaise wapis laaye. Yeh mudda ban gaya hai. Yeh nahi ki hum apko Ramayana ki katha theek theek suna rahe ya nahi.” (A film titled ‘Ramayana’ has been released, sparking a nationwide debate—but the core issue has shifted to earnings: how to recover the investment, whether it was Rs 400 crore or Rs 4000 crore. That has become the primary focus, rather than whether the story of the Ramayana is being narrated accurately.)He went on to clarify that he hasn’t seen ‘Ramayana’ himself, and that his remarks are based only on the promotional material released so far, along with audience reactions and reviews. Khanna questioned the filmmakers’ choice to take creative liberties with Valmiki’s epic, stressing that the authenticity of the original text must be preserved. He added, “Kya humare sabse bade epic Ramayana aur Mahabharat se chhed chaad karna, subtract ya add karna, apni kalpana ko us film mein dalna – kya ye chhed chaad jayaz hai?”(Is it justifiable to tamper with our greatest epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata—by adding or subtracting elements, or by injecting one’s own imagination into such a film?)
Mukesh Khanna on Sita’s fight sequence
Speaking about the fight sequence involving Sita in the film, Khanna said, “Kya aap andaza laga sakate hai ki Sita Mata Rani Jhansi ki tarah fight kar rahi hai ya aajkal ki heroines jo macho ban jaati hai? Maine Valmiki ji ki Ramayan padhi. Usmein kahin bhi aisa nahi likha hai ki Sita ji ne kabhi bhi jaakar fight ki hai. Woh ek Maryada Purushottam ki patni thi jinhone ne seva bhav dikhaya hai. Woh fighter nahi thi. Agar woh fighter hoti toh woh Raavan se fight karti. Kyun Raavan unhe chup chap pakad ke le gaye.” (Can you imagine Mother Sita fighting like the Queen of Jhansi, or perhaps like the heroines of today who adopt a ‘macho’ persona? I have read Valmiki’s Ramayana; nowhere in it is it mentioned that Sita ever engaged in combat. She was the wife of *Maryada Purushottam* (the ideal man of perfect conduct), and she embodied a spirit of service. She was not a fighter. Had she been a fighter, she would have fought Ravana—so why did Ravana manage to abduct her without any resistance?)
Mukesh Khanna on Namit Malhotra’s clarification
He added that he was stunned by producer Namit Malhotra’s clarification that Mata Sita’s action sequence in the film was not inspired by Valmiki’s Ramayana. The senior actor shared, “I was in shock after the producer claimed that he didn’t take the particular scene from Valmiki’s Ramayana. They said that they took it from the Adbhuta Ramayan book. Ramayana ek hi thi jo Valmiki ji ne likhi thi. How can he dare to speak about Ramayan? Yeh himmat aap kisi aur dharam mein karke dikhaiye. Kya aap Quran ya Bible se chhed chad kar sakte hai? Agar nahi toh aapki hamare Geeta aur Ramayan se chhed chad karne ki himmat kaise hui. Stop putting your own narrative in the Ramayana of Valmiki. Sharam aani chahiye aapko.”(There was only one Ramayana—the one written by Valmiki. How dare anyone speak about the Ramayana in this manner? Just try showing such audacity regarding any other religion. Would you dare to tamper with the Quran or the Bible? If not, then how did you get the nerve to tamper with our Gita and Ramayana? Stop imposing your own narrative onto Valmiki’s Ramayana. You should be ashamed of yourself.)
About Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana’
Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana’ features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The highly anticipated epic arrived in theatres on November 5, just before Diwali, and has been doing remarkably well at the box office ever since.
