If there is one character in Ramayana already commanding intense curiosity, it is Yash’s Ravana. And going by Nitesh Tiwari’s latest remarks, the actor is not stepping into a stock antagonist’s part. He is playing a ruler of immense brilliance, power and devotion, a man whose towering strengths are ultimately consumed by ego.
That changes the expectation around the film in a significant way. Instead of presenting Ravana merely as the obstacle in Ram’s path, Tiwari appears intent on making him central to the emotional and philosophical weight of the story. For a spectacle mounted on this scale, that choice suggests Ramayana wants to be remembered not only for visual grandeur, but also for the depth of its character writing.
Ravana’s Greatness And His Fatal Flaw
Speaking during a recent interaction in Los Angeles, Tiwari explained why portraying Ravana as a one note villain would fail the character’s true scale. He said, “He had so many aspects to his life. He was a great warrior, an accomplished musician, a scholar, a benevolent king, a great Shiva devotee. So there was so much more to him than just being one black character.”
The director also underlined the moral core he sees in Ravana’s journey. Tiwari said, “Why it is important for us to showcase all these bits and aspects of his life, is because there is a very important lesson which is hiding in them. You can have all these great qualities, but if you are governed by vengeance and if you are driven by ego, then you know what the end results are going to be. So there’s a great lesson which is hiding out there.”
Those remarks make it clear that Yash’s performance will need to hold together authority, intellect, devotion and self destruction in equal measure. It is a demanding dramatic brief, and one that gives the character far more weight than a conventional villain arc.
A Two Part Epic Built Around Moral Complexity
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Ravie Dubey and Sunny Deol. The mythological drama is being produced by Namit Malhotra as a two part film, with the first part scheduled for Diwali 2026 and the second for Diwali 2027.
Drawn from the Indian epic, the film follows Lord Ram’s journey and stages one of mythology’s most enduring clashes between virtue, power and pride. Tiwari’s latest comments indicate that the storytelling will place as much emphasis on the ideas driving the conflict as on the scale of the battle itself.
That is also what makes Yash’s casting especially significant. His screen presence has long been tied to commanding larger than life roles, and Ramayana now looks poised to use that aura in a part that demands both force and gravitas.
Yash’s Recent And Upcoming Work
Yash was last seen on the big screen in the blockbuster KGF: Chapter 2 in 2022, directed by Prashanth Neel. The film became a massive nationwide success and further cemented his standing as one of Indian cinema’s biggest stars. It remains his latest confirmed release before Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown Ups and Ramayana.
His next confirmed theatrical outing is Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown Ups, directed by Geetu Mohandas, which is scheduled to release on June 4, 2026. He will then be seen in Ramayana as Ravana in Diwali 2026, signalling a career phase shaped by ambitious event films and distinctly high impact roles.
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