Dev Sharma is stepping into the role of Lord Rama with Shree Ramayan Katha. In an exclusive interview with mid-day, the actor reflected on making a Ramayan on a modest budget, addressed the criticism around Adipurush, defended Anjali Arora’s casting as Sita, and clarified his remark on losing out on the role of Lakshman in previous Ramayan adaptations.
Dev Sharma on being a part of Shree Ramayan Katha
Dev Sharma opened up about being part of Shree Ramayan Katha and how the film’s modest budget influenced its approach to the epic. “My question was that when a Ramayan of Rs 1,200 crore is already being made, whose budget is now Rs 4,000 crore, so why are you making a Ramayan of Rs 12 crore?” he recalled. However, he said the project stood apart by focusing less on VFX and special effects and more on authenticity and a realistic treatment of the story.
Dev on what went wrong with Adipurush
Addressing the criticism surrounding Adipurush, Dev Sharma said he believes the team approached the film with the intention of delivering their best. “Every person tries to give their best in their life. They must have made the film with the same intention. They are not small people. They are not first-timers. They have already proved themselves, be it Prabhas or Kriti, Sunny or Om Raut sir,” he said. Dev added that while the film may not have connected with audiences as intended, the makers’ intention was to create something good for viewers.
Dev on Anjali as Sita
Dev Sharma also praised Anjali Arora for her portrayal of Sita in Shree Ramayan Katha. Anjali, who rose to fame as an influencer and through the ‘Kacha Badam’ trend, faced criticism over her casting. Dev, however, defended her efforts. “She worked really hard to be Sita. She had to break her image as an influencer and come into acting. To debut in a film is a big step,” he said.
Dev clarifies his remark
Dev Sharma, who plays Lord Rama in Shree Ramayan Katha, revealed that he was previously rejected for the role of Lakshman in both Adipurush and Ramayana. Clarifying his comments about Ramayana, he said they were “interpreted in the media in a wrong way”. Dev explained that his height became a factor during the initial casting process. “When it comes to Ramayana, initially when they asked how tall are you, I was 6’1″. In the original life, Lord Ram was two-three inches taller than Lakshman. You can’t do such a big blunder at the casting level,” he said.
Dev stressed that his rejection had nothing to do with Ranbir Kapoor or the casting director. “The only reason I couldn’t get this role was at the initial level when they got to know about my height. I didn’t know at that time who Lord Ram was. It has nothing to do with the casting director and it has nothing to do with Ranbir.”
Talking about Adipurush, Dev said he believed he was a good fit for the role but felt the actor eventually chosen was more convincing in the audition. “For Adipurush, I was fitting the role very well. But the guy who played it might have done the acting a little better than my part. So he must have felt more convincing. That’s the reason he got selected,” he said.
Dev on losing a big role despite Yaariyan success
While Dev lost both the projects, he believes what happened was for the best. The actor recalled a role he was considered for shortly after Yaariyan released. He said he was among the tallest actors in Bollywood at the time and was approached for a film that was set to launch a young actress from a prominent family. “There was a time when Yaariyan just released. I was one of the tallest actors in Bollywood at that time. And at that time an actress was about to launch. She is from an affluent big family. She is 5’11”. You will understand who I am talking about. She is pretty famous. Now she is married,” he said.
The actor revealed that he and Sidharth Malhotra were among the few actors who fit the height and age requirements for the role. He recalled that despite the discussions, the role eventually went to an actor from the South. “And the reason was that my manager fucked it up. My manager asked for too much money,” he said. He later learnt that the film had gone on floors and the actor cast in the role suffered a serious injury while shooting.