With the trailer of director Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana already generating buzz, actor Chetan Hansraj, 54, sees the project as a defining chapter in his career. The actor, who plays Raja Mali, the maternal grandfather of Ravana, says the experience has been unlike any other in his career.
Speaking about his role and working alongside actor Yash (who plays Ravana), he says, “Raja Mali is an important character that went down in history, and my scenes with Yash are pure fire. He is such a delight on screen, and these two characters complement each other wonderfully. It was huge for me.”
The actor also reveals that his association with the film expanded beyond Raja Mali. “After my part was wrapped, I was offered six motion-capture characters, including one of Ravana’s brothers and a demon,” he reveals.
At a time when a large number of audiences prefer to watch films on OTT platforms, the actor says that Ramayana is made for a big-screen experience. ‘It’s for IMAX, or at least the silver screen. Watching it on small screens and mobile phones kills half the effort,’ says Hanraj, who also revealed that sitting through three hours of make-up, and one hour to remove it, has paid off with the trailer release.
After the trailer launch, social media erupted into comparisons with previous adaptations of the Hindu epic.
Hansraj says, “We have the best action directors from Hollywood and Bollywood, and technicians on board, like Terry Notary (actor and stunt coordinator)… Makers today want to give the best cinematic experience, and that’s a vision we should understand. I remember during my introductory scene, someone said, ‘We have gold, let’s shoot for diamonds.’ Makers today want to give the best cinematic experience and that’s a vision we should understand.People who once see it on the right medium will forget all these comparisons, I am sure.”
