Sai Pallavi's portrayal of Sita in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part One has sparked debate over the decision to show the character participating in combat. Dipika Chikhlia, who played Sita in Ramanand Sagar's 1987 Ramayan, has now shared her views.
Dipika Chikhlia on Sai Pallavi's Sita participating in combat
Dipika revealed that she did not recall coming across such scenes in the versions of the epic she had read or worked on. However, she acknowledged that the Ramayana has several retellings, each with its own interpretations.
Dipika said in a conversation with The Free Press Journal, "I really don’t know. The memory that I have of Valmiki’s Ramayana and Tulsidas’ Ramayana, which was majorly a part of our Ramayan, I don’t remember that anywhere we had those kinds of scenes."
"But there are more than 300 Ramayanas in our country. Every story, every Ramayana is a little different from the other one. So they (makers) may have picked up something from some Ramayana, which I’m not aware of," she further added.
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Chikhlia also revealed that she hadn't watched the film yet, having only seen the action sequence on Instagram. She plans to watch Ramayana after Diwali.
About Ramayana: Ramayana hit the theatres on November 5, 2026. The movie received positive reviews from the audience and critics alike. Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash and Ravi Dubey in lead roles.
FAQs
What are the details of Sita's costume and styling in Ramayana Part 1?
Her costume features traditional temple aesthetics—including layered gold jewelry, pearls, rubies, a nath (nose ring), alta-stained hands and rich hand-loom saris with coral-pink and rust-orange tones.
How did Sai Pallavi prepare for the role of Sita?
Sai Pallavi shared during promotional appearances that she approached the revered role with deep humility, relying on constant prayer, meditation and a mindset of allowing the character's spirit to guide her performance rather than treating it as a standard acting job.