Yash has shared an amusing and heartfelt story about how his son reacted to his role in Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana’. As the team is currently promoting the film worldwide after its grand world premiere in Los Angeles, the actor revealed that young Yatharv was not happy to hear that his father is playing Ravana.
Yash’s son questions his role as Ravana
In a conversation with television presenter Suma Kanakala on her YouTube channel, Yash said his children grew up hearing the story of the Ramayana from their grandparents. He recalled, “For a son, his father is his hero. Since he knows the story [of the Ramayana], he asked me, ‘You are Ravana? How can you be Ravana? Aren’t you Rama?’ So, I said, ‘Yes, I am Rama in real life, but in the movie, I am playing Ravana.’ But he was like, ‘Then you are the bad guy.’ So, I explained to him about cinema and acting, showing him drawings and all of that.”
Who should Yatharv root for?
The actor said his son then wanted to know whom he should support while watching the film. Yash found the question tricky and also thought about how his fans might feel. He said, “My fans might also have the same doubt, wondering, ‘Why is Yash doing this role?’ Especially since, in scenes like Sita Apaharan, I should not be liked. Then I told my kid, in the most distinct way, ‘When we listen to the story, it is Rama whom everybody has to follow. Ravana might look glamorous, fancy, or powerful. But ultimately, if you have to win, you have to understand the essence of Lord Rama. However, in the movie, you can root for me. But don’t take it personally.’”
A question Yash did not expect
Yatharv went on to ask whether his father would die or lose in the film. Yash had to explain that he was only playing a character on screen. The Kannada superstar admitted the conversation caught him off guard, as he had thought about his fans’ reaction but never imagined his son would raise such a doubt. He said it was hard to make Yatharv understand that the character is different from the person he is in real life and hoped his son would understand this better as he grows up.
About ‘Ramayana’
Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari and backed by Namit Malhotra, ‘Ramayana’ is based on the epic poem by Valmiki, which follows the life and trials of Prince Rama. The two-part film is made on a huge budget of Rs 4000 crore. Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol and Ravi Dubey play the lead roles.The cast also includes Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan and Lara Dutta in key roles.
‘Ramayana’ release date
The first part of ‘Ramayana’ will release in theatres on November 5, 2026. The film will be out in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam across India.
