‘Ramayana: Part 1’: How Yash mastered the art of playing Ravana

In Nitesh Tiwari’s retelling of ‘Ramayana’, Yash shines as Ravana, turning the demon king into a multi‑layered anti-hero in the three-hour spectacle, which also features Ranbir Kapoor as Rama and Sai Pallavi as Sita

Updated - November 05, 2026 06:58 pm IST

Yash in ‘Ramayana’. | Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment/YouTube

(Alert: This piece contains mild spoilers about ‘Ramayana’ after its first screening)

Ravana’s ten heads are one of the most widely recognised symbols in Ramayana. In Nitesh Tiwari’s retelling of the epic, Kannada star Yash brings this idea to life in a fantastical way in one of the magnum opus’s most whistle-worthy scenes. Kudos to Tiwari for his imagination and Yash for his efforts.

My first impression after watching the three-hour-plus film, which also stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama and Sai Pallavi as Sita, is that particular care has gone into shaping Ravana’s character. It’s an understandable decision, given how the famous king of Lanka is one of the most interesting characters in the Ramayana. And Yash gives it all to this character, making Ramayana: Part 1a rousing experience whenever he is on screen.

When the two-part movie was announced, there was a huge debate about the film’s casting. Fans doubted whether Yash, Ranbir, and Sai Pallavi could do justice to the legendary characters. After he confirmed his role, Yash displayed an infectious enthusiasm for playing the character.

“For me, Ravan is the most exciting character in the epic story,” he said. “If you ask me if I would do any other character apart from him in the film, I would say no. I really liked the shades and nuances of that particular character. There was scope to present it differently.”

Part of his excitement comes from the kind of roles he has excelled in Kannada cinema. Yash thrives in the anti-hero zone. Be it in the KGF films, Toxic, Mr and Mrs Ramachari, or Masterpiece, he is in his element while playing roles with grey shades. That’s why, when it comes to playing Ravana, it feels as if Yash had been manifesting the very possibility. In fact, in a scene from the Kannada action drama Masterpiece, Yash, playing the protagonist, tells his mother, who is dressing up a child as Krishna for a fancy dress competition, that “it’s better to dress up like Ravana or Hiranyakashipu and hold a gadha (mace) instead of getting dressed like Krishna with a flute in hand.”

The actor’s solid preparation has helped him master Ravana’s body language while exhibiting the demon king’s popular traits. In a pre-release interview with the YouTube Channel Review Nation, Yash spoke extensively about getting intrigued during his character study of Ravana. “He has everything, yet he loses it all because of the actions he takes. He becomes the person he was always fighting against. He is a man driven by vengeance and loses control in the process.”

So, Yash’s understanding of what the role demanded was evident. Going by his words, the actor seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the process of preparing for the part. The actor is learnt to have played Shiva mantras on set to energise and motivate himself.

“I come from Karnataka, and movie-making there is a joyful mix of chaos and fun. However, during the shoot of Ramayana, everything was sorted on set, and people were very quiet. I was feeling a bit lost. So, I decided to change the atmosphere and began playing Shiva songs. It was a great zone to be in, and I enjoyed the process,” he says in a chat with Review Nation. The movie also carefully stops short of glorifying Ravana’s character. “You can root for me in the movie, but don’t take the character home,” the actor had said in an interview with the Today Stars YouTube Channel.

Yash’s performance, apart from a few minor inconsistencies in dialogue delivery, is worth all the praise it’s getting from the initial screenings of Ramayana. The film, produced by Namit Malhotra, seems poised to take his appeal to a national audience, rekindling the trust the pan-Indian audience had in the actor after the KGF movies. Even in his last film, Toxic, which turned out to be a misfire, Yash stood out with his performance, playing a complex, ageing character battling guilt and his questionable choices.

In his journey to stardom, Yash’s never-say-die personality has helped him reach new heights. Now, with his performance making the right noise, nothing should stop the actor from achieving bigger dreams.

Published - November 05, 2026 04:38 pm IST

entertainment (general) / arts, culture and entertainment / cinema / Indian cinema / Hindi cinema / reviews