Dipika Chikhlia isn't sure about Arun Govil playing Dasarath in new Ramayana: ‘I can't play anything other than Sita'
Dipika Chikhlia says Arun Govil's casting as Dashrath is out of context
Dipika spoke about Arun playing Dashrath in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, where Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, and said, "To see him in a role apart from Ram… I don't know, I mean, see — I have seen him as Ram and I've seen myself as Sita. For me to see him as Dashrath is really a little out of context. But then I guess that's really his choice. It's very personal as to how people feel. It's very difficult to break images. I mean, if you played Ram, then you are Ram.'
She further added that had she been approached for the film, she wouldn't be comfortable playing any other character, and said, "I was never approached. I guess they've not even bothered to speak to me about it. Once I played Sita, I don't think I can play any other character in Ramayan. It's something I'm not sure about. If I was doing something in Mahabharat or Shiv Puran, I could still give it a thought, but not in a Ramayana film."
About Ramayana
Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The film is set to release in two parts, with the first installment hitting cinemas on Diwali 2026 and the second on Diwali 2027.
Earlier, in a conversation with Hindustan Times, the film's producer Namit Malhotra said he wants the film to be celebrated like Oppenheimer. He said, "I'm keen to not just make India proud but excite the world about Indian storytelling and really celebrate global cinema together. It's not like we don't like Hollywood films. It's not like we don't see an Oppenheimer and have a great feeling, or a Forrest Gump, or any of these, you know, landmark films. Their stories are universal. I believe this is universal too. This is that opportunity that I believe I'm pretty fortunate to have received in my life, and I hope I can deliver."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
36 minutes ago
- News18
Beyond Being Mira Nair's Son, How Zohran Mamdani Is Enticing Asians: Bangla, Chai & Filmy Drama
Zohran Mamdani, the Indian-origin Democratic nominee running for mayor of NYC, has been hogging headlines for a while now. If elected, Mamdani will become the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York City. Embracing his roots, Mamdani has actively incorporated cultural elements into his campaign, using Urdu and Bengali in outreach efforts and even donning a traditional South Asian kurta during public appearances. Appealing to the Indian community in New York City, Zohran Mamdani's campaign leaned heavily into music, imagery and emotions of Indian films to connect with them. In one of his most talked-about campaign videos, the politician was seen recreating a scene from Amitabh Bachchan's 1975 film Deewar. 'Aaj mere paas buildingein hai, property hai, bangla hai, bank balance hai, gaadi hai. Tumhare paas kya hai?" The video shows the Bollywood superstar's iconic dialogue, further cutting to Mamdani, who imitates Shah Rukh Khan's signature pose and says, 'Aap."
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'Maa' Box Office collection day 12: Kajol's mythological horror film touches Rs 33 crore despite slow second week
Kajol's new film 'Maa' may not be smashing records, but it is still holding its own at the Indian box office. This mythological horror story has taken a slightly slow yet steady journey, managing to keep audiences interested even as bigger titles compete for attention. A decent start, but sudden dips in week two 'Maa' began its theatrical run on a good note. The first week brought in fairly healthy numbers, collecting around Rs 26.5 crore. According to early estimates shared by Sacnilk, the film earned approximately Rs 0.85 crore on its 12th day, taking the total to nearly Rs 33.15 crore by the end of Tuesday, July 08, 2025. Facing tough competition The film's run at the box office is even more interesting when you look at the tough competition. Aamir Khan 's 'Sitaare Zameen Par' and Anurag Basu 's multi-starrer 'Metro... In Dino' are also playing in cinemas. Even with these big films around, 'Maa' is still managing a decent run. Night shows are stronger Looking at the numbers for Tuesday, July 08, 2025, 'Maa' had an overall 22.42% Hindi occupancy. Morning shows were quite low at just 8.81%, but the film did better as the day went on. Afternoon shows had 20.48% occupancy, evening shows jumped to 25.32%, and night shows were the strongest with 35.08%. About the film: Kajol's new avatar 'Maa' is a mythological horror drama that brings a fresh twist to Kajol's career. She plays Ambika, a mother who goes through a frightening spiritual change. Her transformation, inspired by Goddess Kali, happens so she can save her daughter from a supernatural danger. It's a story that mixes horror with deep emotions of motherhood, giving fans something quite different to watch. 'Maa' movie review TOI gave the film 3 stars. Their official review says, "Kajol delivers a compelling performance as a mother pushed to the edge, balancing vulnerability with fierce resolve. Kherin Sharma and Rupkatha Chakraborty are both impressive as young girls caught in the storm of ancient evil. Ronit Bose Roy lends solid support as the village sarpanch. While it doesn't reinvent the genre, the film delivers a mythologically rooted horror tale that makes for a decent one-time watch. "
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Jurassic World Rebirth Box Office Collection Day 5: Scarlett Johansson starrer maintains its hold over Indian theatres; all set to cross Rs 50 crore mark
Jurassic World: Rebirth continues to stamp its dominance at the Indian box office, after a minor slump on its first Monday. The Scarlett Johansson-led dinosaur spectacle saw a slight uptick in collections on Tuesday (Day 5), earning an estimated Rs 4.39 crore, a 7.07% rise from Monday's Rs 4.1 crore, according to data from Sacnilk. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With this, the film's total India net collection stands at approximately Rs 47.49 crore. After a strong three-day opening weekend where the film raked in Rs 38.2 crore, Rebirth managed to sustain its momentum, defying expectations. The directorial now seems poised to breach the Rs 50 crore mark by Wednesday, a solid milestone for a Hollywood film in the Indian market. If it manages to do so, it beats 's F1, which currently has a two-week total collection of Rs 52 crore. The sci-fi adventure, featuring a stellar ensemble cast that includes , , , Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, , and Luna Blaise, has resonated well with both family audiences and fans of the iconic Jurassic franchise. The English version contributed the largest share of revenue, followed by strong turnouts for the Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu dubbed versions. Jurassic World: Rebirth is not just a roaring success in India, the film is enjoying a massive run globally. It opened early in the US, debuting on a Wednesday, and has already amassed $147.3 million in its first five days across 4,308 North American theatres. Of this, $91.5 million came from the traditional three-day weekend, boosted by the Friday holiday. Internationally, the film launched in 82 markets, including China, and added a whopping $171 million to its global tally. China alone contributed $41.5 million, where the film played on 65,000 screens, 760 of which were IMAX. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With steady weekday collections and strong international numbers, Jurassic World: Rebirth is now firmly positioned as one of the biggest global hits of the season. In India, all eyes are now on the finish line to see whether it can sustain into the second weekend with the release of the superhero film 'Superman' arriving in cinemas on Friday, June 11.
