Aarya Babbar has shared his thoughts on two actors portraying Ravana on screen, and he has a clear opinion about their looks. While he believes Saif Ali Khan did a good job in Om Raut’s Adipurush, Aarya feels Yash’s appearance as the demon king in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana looks familiar, reminding him of the actor’s popular KGF avatar.
Aarya, who is currently playing Ravana in the theatrical production Mahabali, spoke about how actors approach the character and why he believes their performances should be viewed in the context of a director’s vision.
Aarya Babbar Backs Saif Ali Khan’s Ravana In Adipurush
Saif Ali Khan faced criticism for his look as Ravana in Adipurush. The film did not perform as expected at the box office. However, Aarya believes Saif should not be held responsible for how the character was presented in the film.
Praising the actor’s work, he told Variety India, “I think Saif was very good as Ravana. An actor is only as good as the director’s perception and interpretation. So whatever he played in Adipurush is also something what the director must have made him perform. But he brought about a different kind of intensity to the character, His performance, his look, everything was a director’s interpretation. You cannot blame the actor for that.”
While Aarya defended Saif’s portrayal, he had a different take on Yash’s look in Ramayana. The actor said it was too early to judge Yash’s performance, but the first look did not appear particularly different from what audiences have already seen.
He pointed out that Yash’s beard reminded him of his appearance in the KGF films, adding that the costumes seemed to be the main difference.
Aarya said, “It’s pretty much the same beard that he’s had in KGF before. It is not a new look per se that I’ve seen in Ramayana. I saw a new look of his in Toxic. I did not see it in this. I’m really hoping the way he’s performed, that would be perhaps very good. Perhaps in the whole film, I’ll see a different Yash. For now, it pretty much looks like what I’ve already seen in KGF. Yash is playing it for an international audience, not just for an Indian audience. And it’s visible with what Mr. Tiwari is doing.”
Aarya also said the version of Ravana he is presenting in Mahabali is “absolutely different” from the characters seen in Adipurush and the upcoming Ramayana.
More About Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, with Yash as Ravana. The cast also includes Sai Pallavi, Ravi Dubey and Sunny Deol in key roles.Backed by Namit Malhotra and Yash, the first part of the film is scheduled to release in theatres on November 5 this year, while part 2 will be hitting cinema screens on Diwali 2027.
