All posts tagged: Chikhalia

‘If he can do Animal, he can play Ram’: Dipika Chikhalia defends Ranbir’s Ramayana casting | Bollywood News

‘If he can do Animal, he can play Ram’: Dipika Chikhalia defends Ranbir’s Ramayana casting | Bollywood News

Hours after the trailer of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana was unveiled, Dipika Chikhalia, who became synonymous with Sita after portraying the goddess in Ramanand Sagar’s iconic television series, weighed in on the film. Speaking about the much-awaited adaptation, she expressed confidence in Sai Pallavi’s portrayal of Sita and defended Ranbir Kapoor against criticism over playing Lord Ram after Animal, saying actors should be free to take on diverse roles. Speaking to Hindi Rush, Deepika also described Ramayana as a massive cinematic undertaking and said its reported Rs 4,000 crore budget would allow the makers to bring the epic’s grand scale to life. Deepika Chikhalia on Sai Pallavi playing Sita Dipika Chikhalia said she has immense faith in Sai Pallavi’s acting abilities and sees no reason to criticise the casting before watching the film. “I have seen Sai Pallavi’s South Indian films, and in my opinion, she is a very, very good actor. She is playing Sita, and I don’t want to say anything negative about it. Why should I speak negatively about someone’s project? We’ll see …

‘Sai Pallavi’s phenomenal but don’t know how she’ll look like Sita’: Deepika Chikhalia | Bollywood News

‘Sai Pallavi’s phenomenal but don’t know how she’ll look like Sita’: Deepika Chikhalia | Bollywood News

4 min readHyderabadJul 24, 2026 09:50 AM IST Deepika Chikhalia, who played Sita in Ramanand Sagar’s iconic Ramayan television series, has said she considers Sai Pallavi a phenomenal actor but is unsure whether she will look the part in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming film Ramayana. In a conversation with Variety India, Chikhalia pointed to the specific physical description of Sita in Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas and questioned whether the casting fits that image, while also noting that the original series remains too fresh in public memory for any adaptation to easily replace it. She also revealed that playing Sita in 1987 cost her a career, saying she still struggles to find work because the industry has never been able to see her as anyone else. “She’s a phenomenal actor. But I don’t know how she’ll look like Sita. Once we see her, we’ll know,” Chikhalia said of Sai Pallavi. She pointed to the description of Sita in the Ramcharitmanas, which specifies almond-shaped eyes, a particular height and certain features, and said that was exactly what Ramanand Sagar had …

‘Sita with curly hair not mentioned in Ramayana’: Deepika Chikhalia on Sai Pallavi casting | Bollywood News

‘Sita with curly hair not mentioned in Ramayana’: Deepika Chikhalia on Sai Pallavi casting | Bollywood News

5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 23, 2026 06:59 PM IST Ahead of the release of Ramayana‘s highly anticipated trailer on July 24, Deepika Chikhalia, who famously played Sita in Ramanand Sagar’s iconic television series, has shared her views on Sai Pallavi taking on the role in Nitesh Tiwari’s film. Speaking to Variety India, the actor also opened up about Arun Govil’s casting as Dashrath, the lasting legacy of the original Ramayan, and how playing Sita shaped her career. Deepika Chikhalia on Sai Pallavi playing Sita Asked about Sai Pallavi stepping into one of Indian cinema’s most iconic roles, Deepika praised the actor’s talent but said it is too early to judge whether she fits the character. “I have seen her work. She’s a phenomenal actor. But I don’t know how she’ll look like Sita. Once we see her, we’ll know. At the moment, I have no clue. The description of Sita in Tulsidas’ Ramayan was that of a woman with almond eyes, a certain height, hair and skin. That’s what Ramanand Sagar was looking for, …