Ranbir Kapoor’s transformation into Lord Rama for Ramayana has already sparked intense conversation, and now one of the actor’s most trusted directors has added his voice to the moment. Anurag Basu, who directed Ranbir in Barfi! and Jagga Jasoos, has praised the star’s first look from Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious mythological epic, calling the choice itself an act of courage.
The reaction carries weight because Basu has seen Ranbir up close in roles that demanded emotional risk and reinvention. As discussion around Ramayana continues to build, Basu’s endorsement feels less like casual industry praise and more like a filmmaker recognising an actor stepping into one of the most scrutinised roles of his career.
Anurag Basu Backs Ranbir Kapoor’S Ramayana Casting
Speaking to Variety India, Basu said, “The way I had imagined Ranbir as Rama when he signed the film, and what I expected was very good. I expected that this is how Ranbir would look, as he loves challenges. It was very tough, and you need a lot of courage to get into that character to play Ram.”
He also stressed just how loaded that decision is for any mainstream star. “It takes a lot of courage for an actor to say yes. Because people put actors in boxes in our industry. So, I think it is very courageous of him. And from whatever I’ve seen of the film and the images, he has amazingly nailed it. I’m looking forward to it.”
The praise follows weeks of heightened curiosity around the film’s visual scale and Ranbir’s look as Lord Rama. The actor has also confirmed that he is playing a double role in the project, portraying both Lord Rama and Lord Parshurama. In an interview with Collider, he said, “Just to get the opportunity, you know, how I got to play Lord Rama, to also play Lord Parshurama was fantastic.”
Basu had earlier revealed that Ranbir faced a significant scheduling decision between Ramayana and Basu’s long-discussed Kishore Kumar biopic. The actor eventually chose Ramayana, a move Basu believed made sense. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, the film also stars Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Sunny Deol as Hanuman.
That makes Basu’s praise particularly telling, because it arrives at a point when Ranbir’s choices are defining the next phase of his stardom.
After Animal, Ranbir Kapoor Is Leaning Into Scale And Reinvention
Ranbir was last seen in Animal in 2023, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, a film that emerged as a blockbuster and grossed over ₹900 crore worldwide. Earlier that year, he also headlined Luv Ranjan’s Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar opposite Shraddha Kapoor, giving him a strong commercial year across two very different genres.
What stands out now is the shape of his slate. With Ramayana, Ranbir is moving into mythological spectacle on a massive canvas, while Love & War, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and slated for 2027, keeps him in the middle of another prestige theatrical event. Together, those choices suggest an actor balancing commercial momentum with high-stakes, image-defining roles, exactly the kind of ambition Basu seems to be applauding.
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