Actor Ranbir Kapoor has detailed his intensive spiritual preparation for portraying Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming cinematic adaptation of the Ramayana. Speaking on the sidelines of the film’s presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, Kapoor emphasized that internalizing the deity’s core values took precedence over external aesthetic conditioning or action sequences.
Kapoor revealed that his preparation involved studying foundational religious texts, consulting scholars, and practicing yoga for two years. He meditated for hours alongside a spiritual guide named Suvir to align his performance with the moral philosophy of the role.
Detailing his approach, Kapoor stated: “I always feel that kind of preparation, making a body or action and dance, is kind of easy because that is a bit superficial. But to really understand the philosophy of Lord Rama deeply at this age and this point in my life was really important to embody this character. You want to give it your best and be simple and not complicated. You want to be someone with whom someone aged 80 can relate. Understanding the teachings of Lord Rama was more important than the superficial transformation.”
He added: “I read a lot, met with a lot of scholars. I practised yoga for two years. I had a guru called Suvir who used to sit and meditate with me for hours to get me really close to the teachings of Lord Rama.”
