Deepika Chikhalia, who played the role of Sita in Ramanand Sagar's 'Ramayana', is still 'Sita Mata' for crores of people. Recently, when the teaser of Nitesh Tiwari's new film 'Ramayana' came out, she expressed her opinion on it in a conversation with Amar Ujala Digital. She praised the visuals of the film, but also expressed concern that the real emotions of Ramayana may get lost amidst the big budget and technology.

'The teaser is grand, but the soul is not visible'

Deepika Chikhalia said, 'To be honest, I liked the visual effects. But my own opinion is that Ramayana is not just graphics or technology. It is a story of emotions. I could not guess the story after watching the teaser, but I felt that it looked quite modern. Lighting, tone of colors... everything felt a bit new age. Deepika said that when she did 'Ramayana', the technology was very limited, but people had connected with that show from the heart. Now the teaser that I saw has grandeur, but I am waiting to see if it has those emotions or not.'

'Saw Ranbir...and remembered Arun Govil'

When Deepika was asked how she liked Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, she said, 'When I saw Ranbir as Ram, I immediately remembered Arun Govil. I will probably never be able to see anyone else in place of Ram. He has been Ram for us for 35-40 years.

'Sai Pallavi will be different from me, but will play Sita well'

On the selection of Sai Pallavi for the role of Sita, Deepika said, 'She is a very good actress. I have seen her Malayalam films. Her acting is very natural. I am confident that she will play the character of Sita well. Yes, she will be different from me, but she will do her job well.

'It is not easy to accept a familiar face as God'

Deepika said that when she worked in 'Ramayana', people started seeing her as a goddess. She said, 'Even today, people consider me and Arun ji as Ram-Sita. The only difference is that when we came, we were completely new faces. People were able to accept us as that. But the actors of today have already played many characters, so it can be a little difficult for people to accept them as God.'

'It is not easy to see Ramji as Dashrath'

Arun Govil is playing the role of Dashrath in the new film. On this, Deepika said emotionally, 'When I saw him as Dashrath on social media, this is what came out of my heart... this is Ramji. There is the same peace, the same image on his face. I found it a little difficult to see him as Dashrath.

'I can only see myself as Sita in Ramayana'

Deepika also said that no one contacted her for this film. Also, she refused to see herself in any other character. The actress said, 'I have always said that I am only Sita. I cannot see myself in any other form in the Ramayana. If there were something like the Mahabharata, I would have thought. But not in Ramayana.

'Ramayana is not just seen, it is felt'

On the mega budget of the film (about Rs 850 crore), Deepika said, 'Ramayana is not just a story. It is the depth of relationships and devotion. To show this, money is not needed, but emotion is needed. Ramayana has to be felt, not just seen. I am just afraid that emotions may be left behind in such a big budget and heavy visuals. The real Ramayana is the one that has devotion and emotions.'

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