Nitesh Tiwari is planning to cast Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta in Ramayana
In recent times, Ramayana has become one of the most talked about projects and with Ranbir Kapoor and Yash coming on board, there's only so much that everyone's been talking about. It was back in 2020 that Madhu Mantena first confirmed his plans on the Indian epic along with Nitesh Tiwari directing the film. And now, reports have it that Nitesh Tiwari is planning to cast Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta in the roles of Kumbkaran and Princess Kaikeyi in the magnum opus.
Now as per the report in Pinkvilla, a source close to the development shared, "Nitesh Tiwari wants to cast actors who are apt to play the characters belonging to the most timeless tale of Indian History. He feels Lara Dutta is perfect to play the part of Princess Kaikeyi, the third consort of King Dasharatha. It's a pivotal character that leads to the entire conflict in Ramayana, and Lara is excited to entire the fantastical world of Nitesh Tiwari."
The source further revealed that Nitesh has approached Bobby for the role of Kumbakarana but the Animal actor is yet to revert about it. "Bobby is yet to get back to Nitesh Tiwari on Ramayana. He might or might not do the film, and will take a call in the next 2 months. Post the success of Animal, Bobby is right now flooded with offers from across the industry and he will be making his choices over the coming few months," the source added.
Following over a year of scripting, casting and prep, it is almost time for the filmmaker to take his ambitious venture - that sees Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana - on floors. We hear the magnum opus is set to roll on March 2 in Film City, Goregaon. A source reveals, "The cast and crew were recently informed that March 2 is the big day. Nitesh sir has charted out a long schedule in Film City. In the first part of the leg, Ranbir and Sai will shoot the dialogue-heavy scenes. The major crowd sequences, including some war portions, will be shot in April and May. The idea is to wrap these scenes before the monsoons hit the city."
