Director Nitesh Tiwari explains why Sai Pallavi's Sita wields weapons in Ramayana

Director Nitesh Tiwari has defended the portrayal of Sai Pallavi’s Sita as a warrior in Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. His interpretation, which shows Sita wielding weapons and taking part in action sequences, has drawn both criticism and support from viewers.Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna is among those who have opposed the creative choice, arguing that it departs from Valmiki’s Ramayana. Tiwari, however, has said that texts such as the Sanskrit Adbhuta Ramayana and the 15th-century Odia Bilanka Ramayana depict Sita as an active warrior and an embodiment of cosmic Shakti.In an interview with The Federal, Tiwari said Sita’s story was not limited to her strength in enduring hardship. He explained that several versions of the Ramayana offered different perspectives on its characters, including accounts in which Sita possessed immense power.“These tellings offer a rather different image of Sita: not merely a figure of endurance but an active warrior and an embodiment of cosmic Shakti,” the director said. Tiwari also referred to an episode in which Sita assumes a fierce form and confronts a demon after Rama is incapacitated. “In these versions, she assumes the fierce form of Mahakali and slays Sahasra Ravana, the thousand-headed demon king, when Rama is incapacitated,” he added.The filmmaker said the portrayal was not merely a modern feminist interpretation. According to him, such depictions have existed for centuries across India’s diverse retellings of the epic. His version, he said, draws from that existing tradition rather than introducing a new idea. Mukesh Khanna objects to the action sequenceKhanna criticised Tiwari’s adaptation in a vlog about the debate surrounding the film. Accusing the makers of altering the revered text, he said, “Stop putting your own narrative into Valmiki’s Ramayana. You should be ashamed.”Reacting to the action sequence, the 68-year-old actor said, “Can you imagine Sita Mata fighting like the Rani of Jhansi or like present-day heroines who become macho? I have read Valmiki’s Ramayana. Nowhere is it written that Sita ever went and fought.”He added, “She was the wife of Maryada Purushottam, the ideal righteous man, and displayed a spirit of service. She was not a fighter. If she had been a fighter, she would have fought Ravana. Why was Ravana able to capture her and take her away?”Khanna also rejected producer Namit Malhotra’s clarification that the sequence was inspired by alternate texts rather than Valmiki’s account. He argued that there was only one Ramayana written by sage Valmiki and questioned whether filmmakers would take similar liberties with other religious texts.The Shaktimaan actor further questioned whether commercial considerations linked to the film’s reported Rs 4,000 crore budget should take precedence over traditional narratives. He said his criticism was based on promotional material, audience reactions and reviews, as he had not watched the film. He also questioned the broader practice of adding personal interpretations to sacred texts such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.More about the filmDirected by Tiwari, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The film has been planned as a two-part cinematic adaptation of the epic.The first instalment was released in theatres on November 5. Sunny Deol appeared as Hanuman in a post-credits scene, teasing his return in the sequel, which is scheduled for release in 2028.- Ends