As Nitesh Tiwari’s mythological epic Ramayana: Part One enjoys a stellar box-office run nearing the Rs 1,000 crore milestone worldwide, actor Lara Dutta has finally addressed the online debate surrounding the characters’ costumes.
The styling of Sai Pallavi as Sita and Lara Dutta as Queen Kaikeyi had previously drawn criticism from a section of viewers who labelled the outfits too modern for the Treta Yuga.
Speaking about the controversy for the first time, Lara defended the creative choices, emphasising that nitpicking minor details overlooks the sheer scale of the project. She explained that a conscious decision was made to standardise styles across the kingdoms of Mithila, Ayodhya, and Lanka to avoid opening a “Pandora’s box” of historical debates involving diverse regional expert interpretations.
While acknowledging initial discussions with director Nitesh Tiwari regarding distinct cultural nuances—such as Kaikeyi’s unique heritage from the kingdom of Kekaya—Lara noted that sticking to a cohesive visual template was necessary for the grand cinematic adaptation.
Directed by Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, the two-part franchise stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana.
