Actress Sai Pallavi, who is set to portray Sita Maa in the upcoming film ‘Ramayana’, opened up about her preparation for the revered character.

Appearing on the popular quiz reality show, Kaun Banega Crorepati, Sai said that she relied on prayer and meditation to approach the role with the dignity it deserves.

During a conversation with megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Sai Pallavi spoke about the immense responsibility of portraying a figure as revered as Sita Maa.

She emphasised that the film would go beyond being a cinematic experience and become a part of history for generations to come.

Emphasizing the reverence attached to the role, Sai Pallavi shared by saying, “Maine iss patra ke liye sirf prayer kiya aur prarthana kiya ki main jitne bhi obstacles ho mujhe voh patra karne mein, voh saare obstacles nikal jaaye. Kyuki hum jo film bana rahe hain, voh sirf film nahi hain voh itihaas bhi banega aur aage ka generations bhi dekhega, aage ka future dekhega tab hum sab yaha nahi honge. Uss samay voh dignity honi chahiye, toh main sirf prarthana hi kar rahi thi for this role.”

(For this role, I only prayed and asked that whatever obstacles I might face in portraying this character would be removed. Because the film we are making is not just a film; it will also become a part of history, and future generations will watch it. People in the future will look back at it when none of us will be here. At that time, the portrayal should have dignity. So, I was simply praying for this role)

Speaking on how mindfulness helped her navigate high-pressure filming, Sai Pallavi added by saying, “Aisa nahi hain, actually agar main meditate nahi karungi toh mujhe aur saare thoughts aate hain. Toh most of the times, even when I was playing this character of Sita Maa, I believed in doing meditation. During playing this character, I learnt ki main jabhi bhi koi stressful situation mein hoon, I realised you should just witness it rather than just acting towards it. Whenever I used to come across a stressful situation, I started thinking how Sita Maa would have reacted so this is what I feel I learnt from Sita Maa’s character.”

(It’s not like that. Actually, if I don’t meditate, I end up having even more thoughts. So, most of the time, even while playing the character of Sita Maa, I believed in practising meditation. While portraying this character, I learnt that whenever I am in a stressful situation, I should simply observe it rather than react to it. Whenever I encountered a stressful situation, I started thinking about how Sita Maa would have reacted. This is what I feel I learnt from the character of Sita Maa)

For the uninitiated, Ramayan stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Ravie Dubey as Lord Lakshman and is directed by Nitesh Tiwari.

According to the Mumbai Police, the family members of filmmaker Sanjay Gupta discovered him the following morning and alerted the police after he passed away aged 59 by falling in the bathroom on October 30.

The Versova Police are investigating the matter. Sanjay Gupta fell in the bathroom of his house on October 30, following which he died.

A Mumbai Police official said that other people were present at the house at the time of the incident. However, as the incident took place late at night, the family members could not immediately become aware of it.

The family members spotted him the following morning and immediately informed the police. The police also received information about the incident only in the morning. According to the police, the family has not expressed any suspicion so far. The necessary procedures in the case are currently being carried out.

The forensics team has also reached the late filmmaker’s residence in Mumbai.

Sanjay Gupta was best known for directing films such as ‘Kaante’, ‘Kaabil’ and ‘Shootout at Wadala ’ along with producing movies such as Shootout at Lokhandwala, Jazbaa and Acid Factory.

He passed away at the age of 59. As per sources closes to media, the filmmaker passed away on October 30 after slipping in the bathroom at night and injuring his head.

Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit confirmed Sanjay Gupta’s death and wrote on Instagram: “It’s really shocking and sad. Just got the news that our dear friend an ace director @_sanjaygupta is no more. He passed due to a head injury at home.”

Sanjay Gupta stepped into the world of cinema in 1994 with Aatish: Feel the Fire starring Aditya Pancholi and Sanjay Dutt.

He then went on to direct, produce and write movies such as Ram Shastra, Khauff, Jung, Kaante, Musafir, Zinda and Shootout at Lokhandwala among others.

His last work includes The Miranda Brothers, which was released in 2025. Sanjay Gupta directed and produced the film starring Harshvardhan Rane and Meezaan Jafri.

Rocking Star Yash, who essays the role of Ravana in director Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana’, has now opened up about one of the most unexpected conversations he had while preparing for the film – explaining to his young son why his father was playing the antagonist and not Lord Rama.

Sharing how his son reacted after learning about the epic, Yash revealed that the little one was initially shocked to discover that his father would be portraying Ravana.

He recalled, “My son knows who his father is, but now that he knows the story of the Ramayana, he was shocked. He said, ‘No, you’re the bad guy! How can you do that?’ I explained to him that we have to depict the full story for people to truly understand it.”

Talking about the dilemma of helping his children understand the distinction between the actor and the character, Yash shared how he had to explain the larger significance of the story and why Lord Rama remains the ideal to look up to.

He said, “I had to sit my son down and tell him: in this story, the central figure you must look up to is Lord Rama. Everyone should walk Rama’s path. Ravana may appear grand, powerful, and imposing, but true, lasting victory in life only comes when you embody Rama’s righteousness. I told him, ‘You can cheer for me as an actor in the theatre, but do not mistake the character for the ideal.’”

The conversation took another turn when his son asked him whether Ravana eventually loses and dies in the story. Recalling the moment, Yash said, “Then he asked, ‘Do you die in the end? Do you lose?’ That was hard. When I signed the project, I was thinking about giving my audience a compelling performance, but I hadn’t anticipated my son’s questions. Teaching him the distinction between an actor and a dramatic role was quite an experience.”

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. The first instalment of the two-part epic is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on November 5, 2026.