Kannada actor and pan-India star Yash is set to play the demon king Ravan in Nitesh Tiwari’s two-part mythological epic Ramayana. The film has generated significant buzz, with its trailer showcasing Yash’s grand portrayal of the iconic character alongside Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Sai Pallavi as Maa Sita.
The KGF actor recently appeared on Rajat Sharma’s Aap Ki Adalat, where he opened up about his upcoming projects, including Ramayana and Toxic. As one of the producers of Ramayana, Yash also addressed the casting choices and explained why Ranbir Kapoor was chosen to play Lord Rama and Sunny Deol to portray Hanuman.
Yash explains why Ranbir Kapoor is Ram and Sunny Deol is Hanuman in Ramayana
Rajat Sharma: You are the Raja of the film; how can Ranbir Kapoor do the work of Raja Ram?
Yash: Woh kahani hai. (That’s a story). We do the characters.
When asked why he gave the Hanuman role to Sunny Deol, Yash replied: “He will play Bajrangbali. You know, Hanumanji Karnataka se hain, sir. Har ek actor apna values leke aa raha hai is film mein.”
Sunny Deol to play Lord Hanuman in Ramayana
Apart from the lead cast, including Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Maa Sita and Yash as Ravan, Sunny Deol is also playing a pivotal role in the mythological epic Ramayana. However, his look as Lord Hanuman was not revealed in the official Ramayana Part 1 trailer.
At the trailer launch event in Delhi, which was attended by select members of the audience and the film’s cast, Sunny Deol revealed that he had only recently started shooting for Ramayana and still had a long way to go. This hinted that Ramayana Part 1 may end with Rama’s vanvaas.
He said, “I have done only a little work on the film so far. I still have a long way to go.” He further added, “I would like to thank Waheguruji for giving me the opportunity to play Hanuman Ji. I feel truly blessed to be a part of this journey. Hanuman Ji’s character is not easy to portray, but it is going to be a great experience because he is innocent, strong and powerful. Most importantly, we need everyone’s blessings as we have taken on such a big project.”
Produced by Namit Malhotra under Prime Focus Studios, DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. The first part of Ramayana is scheduled to be released on Diwali 2026 in India, and worldwide on November 6, 2026.
Watch the full interview here:
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