Chetan Hansraj plays the demon (Rakshasa) Mali in Nitesh Tiwari‘s ‘Ramayana’. Speaking recently about his character and working with Yash and Nitesh Tiwari, he noted that the role carries significant weight in the story’s backstory. He called it a remarkable experience, working with some of the finest technical talent from across the world. Being on set alongside top Hollywood technicians, renowned action directors, Hans Zimmer, and Michael Grobe, an Academy Award winner for ‘Dune’, made for an unforgettable experience. Just standing among that caliber of talent while doing the work they’d set out to do felt genuinely phenomenal.
Chetan Hansraj on Yash and Nitesh Tiwari
In the film, Raavan is played by Kannada superstar Yash. Talking to Variety India about his experience working alongside him, Hansraj shares, “He’s a cool guy. I was really impressed with him.” He goes on to heap praise on filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari as well, saying, “He is so gentle with every member of the cast and crew. Nitesh is very interested in understanding every role and guiding you to bring that on screen. Everyone on sets was so soft-spoken. On the sets of ‘Ramayana,’ I felt everyone was aligned towards one goal. I have been acting for 47 years. These 20 days of the shoot have been the best 20 days of my entire career.”
Chetan Hansraj on the Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi casting debate
Social media has seen no shortage of debate over the casting of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Sai Pallavi as Maa Sita. Reacting to the discussion, he says, “I think the casting is fabulous. Ranbir as Ram is fabulous. I really like the manner in which he has carried off his look. Sai Pallavi is also very nice. Everyone has their opinion, but Namit Malhotra, Nitesh Tiwari and the team have done a lot of research for the looks and characters, and finalized the cast after a lot of deliberation.“
Chetan Hansraj slams VFX critics
The scale of the project is so vast that even its VFX is being picked apart in minute detail. Hansraj says he’s well aware of the ongoing chatter. Calling out such critics as keyboard VFX superstars, he remarks, “They are in dreamland. When you see ‘Ramayana’ on the big screen, you will understand the scale. It is unfathomable. All these critics don’t understand the scale.”Once his part of the shoot came to an end, Hansraj admits he was overwhelmed with emotion. In a gesture that touched him deeply, the cast and crew arranged 10 cakes to celebrate the moment. “I could feel their love. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my career,” he said.
‘Ramayana’ trailer release
Released on Thursday, the trailer for ‘Ramayana’ gives audiences their first real glimpse of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Yash as Ravana, and Sai Pallavi as Sita. Notably absent from the trailer is Sunny Deol, who plays Hanuman. The film also stars Ravie Dubey, Vivek Oberoi, Saurabh Sachdeva, and Rakul Preet Singh. ‘Ramayana: Part One’ is set for a worldwide release during Diwali 2026, followed by its second part in 2027.
