Sai Pallavi’s Sita Look, Lara Dutta’s Kaikeyi Costume Criticism (Img: Pinterest)
New Delhi: The long-awaited trailer of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana has generated excitement among moviegoers, but it has also given rise to controversy regarding the costumes of the movie’s main characters. Following criticisms about Sai Pallavi’s depiction of Goddess Sita and Lara Dutta’s portrayal as Queen Kaikeyi, the costume designers of the movie came forward to defend their creations.
Talking about their creations, the costume designers Rimple and Harpreet Narulah mentioned that since Ramayana is a sacred story, they knew they were going to face intense criticism. However, what shocked them was the amount of criticism they received after releasing the trailer.
The most debated topic on social media revolved around the costume designed by Sai Pallavi for her role as Sita, especially the design of the blouse. When questioned about this, the designer, Rimple responded that the look was inspired by her own understanding and reverence for Goddess Sita and not an effort to recreate any ancient attire.
According to her, there are no clothes dating back to the Treta Yuga which can act as references for this purpose. Instead, the designers have taken references from various Indian arts like temple arts, miniature painting, calendar arts and works of legendary artists such as Raja Ravi Verma.
Rimple further states that Ramayana has been depicted differently by various people across various cultures and regions.
Designer Harpreet Narulah spoke about criticism against the Kaikeyi character played by Lara Dutta, as there were some people on social media who compared the character’s costume to that of mythological series on television.
He explained that each and every detail in the costume of Kaikeyi, from colours to pattern, had been specifically selected to express her dilemma. The colour green depicted motherhood while dark maroon stood for strength and complexity.
According to the designers, people shouldn’t make an assessment about the costumes solely on the basis of the visuals used in the trailer, but rather should watch the entire movie first.
It is their objective to retell the classic epic in such a manner that will connect with the younger generation yet preserve its cultural significance.
Ramayana is produced by Prime Focus Studios and Monster Mind Creations, and stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman and Lara Dutta as Queen Kaikeyi. It will be released in two parts in Diwali 2026 and Diwali 2027.
