Nitesh Tiwari Delays Shoot Of Ramayana As Alia Bhatt Walks Out, Yash May Play Ravana

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AUGUST 24,2023

Alia Bhatt has been soaring high on the success of her back-to-back blockbusters, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Heart of Stone. After her glorious Hollywood debut, Alia is back working on more Bollywood scripts. Speaking of scripts, reports suggest the actress has walked out of the Nitesh Tiwari-directed Ramayana.

Alia Bhatt couldn't be a part of the Ramayana due to scheduling issues. She was offered the role of Maa Sita. The director had also approached Ranbir Kapoor to play Lord Ram and KGF star Yash for Ravana's role. Alia's walkout from the film has caused delays in the shoot.

A source close to the development said, "As far as the casting is concerned, Ranbir Kapoor is still committed to playing Lord Ram, while Alia Bhatt, who was approached for the project, is no longer part of it. The actress was in talks for the role of Goddess Sita, but the collaboration didn't work out because of date issues."

Reportedly, Yash is still attached to the project. Earlier, rumors were that the KGF actor walked out of the Ramayana. However, the insider news suggests otherwise.

Nitesh Tiwari on making the Ramayana

In an interview back in July, the filmmaker was asked about the final cast of the Ramayana. He neither confirmed nor denied casting Ranbir, Alia, or Yash. He simply said the announcement would be made when the time was right.

Also Read: Hrithik Roshan Walks Out Of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, Reveals Why He Won't Play Ravan Anymore

He also spoke about trying not to offend the masses with his depiction of the Hindu mythology saga. This came amidst the Adipurush controversy and how it enraged moviegoers with its poor choice of dialogue.

'My question is very simple. I am also a consumer of the content that I create, and if I'm not going to offend myself, then I'm very confident that I might not end up offending anybody else", Nitesh said.

On the work front

Alia Bhatt was last seen in Heart of Stone, her Hollywood debut alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. Her recent Bollywood release, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, continues to do well at the box office.

The romantic drama marked Karan Johar's directorial comeback after eight years. RRKPK also starred Ranveer Singh, Jaya Bachchan, Dharmendra, and Shabana Azmi in leading roles.

As for Ranbir Kapoor, he has Sadeep Reddy Vanga's Animal, which is slated to release on December 1.