Yash’s Son Asked Why He Was Ravana, Not Rama

For a child raised on the Ramayana, learning that a parent is playing Ravana can be a lot to process. That is the conversation Yash had with his son Yatharv while promoting Nitesh Tiwari’s two-part film, which arrives in theatres on November 5, 2026.

A hero at home, a villain on screen

In a conversation with television presenter Suma Kanakala on her YouTube channel, Yash said his children grew up hearing the epic from their grandparents. When Yatharv learned about the role, he had the obvious question: why was his father not Rama? As Yash recalled, his son asked how he could be Ravana.

The actor’s first answer drew a line between the person and the part. He told Yatharv that he is Rama in real life, but Ravana only in the movie. The reasoning did not fully land, and his son replied, “Then you are the bad guy.”

Yash said he explained how cinema and acting work, using drawings to make the craft easier for a child to grasp. The question still caught him off guard: he had thought about how fans might react, but never expected the doubt to come from his own son.

Who should Yatharv root for?

The harder question came next. Yatharv wanted to know whom he should support while watching the film. Yash said he understood the confusion, because even his fans might wonder why he chose the role—especially in sequences like Sita Apaharan, where the audience should not like Ravana.

His guidance was simple and distinct. As Yash put it, when we listen to the story, it is Rama whom everybody has to follow. Ravana might look glamorous, fancy or powerful, but ultimately, if you have to win, you have to understand the essence of Lord Rama. In the movie, he added, his son could root for him—but should not take it personally.

The moment behind the casting

• Yatharv grew up hearing the Ramayana from his grandparents, so he already knew the characters.
• He first asked why his father was not Rama, then concluded that playing Ravana made him “the bad guy.”
• Yash separated his real self from the on-screen role and told his son whom to follow while watching.

The exchange lands because it mirrors a real fan dilemma. Yash is a Kannada superstar with a devoted following, and casting him as Ravana in a film built on the Ramayana places that affection against the demands of the story. It also gives families a gentle way to talk about mythology, acting and how a performer can step into a role without carrying it home.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and backed by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana is based on the epic poem by Valmiki. The two-part film is made on a budget of Rs 4000 crore and stars Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol and Ravi Dubey in lead roles. The cast also includes Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan and Lara Dutta in key roles. It will open in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam across India.

Source: The Times of India