Ramayana has found its Shatrughan, but the first conversation around newcomer Nitish Sharma has little to do with the epic. He is making his Bollywood film debut in Nitesh Tiwari’s adaptation, and fans are busy pointing out how much he resembles Kartik Aaryan.
The resemblance that started the chatter
After Sharma’s photos began doing the rounds, the comparisons moved from social media to Reddit. One user wrote,
“Why Shatrughana actor is looking little bit like Kartik Aaryan?”
Others posted that the actor on the left of a group photograph reminded them of the Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety star.
Kartik Aaryan has strong recall as one of Hindi cinema’s popular younger leads, thanks to films such as Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Satyaprem Ki Katha. For a debutant, being compared to an established face is an easy way to enter the conversation.
Nitish Sharma’s Ramayana role
Sharma plays Shatrughan, the youngest of King Dasharatha’s four sons and a younger brother of Lord Ram. The character stands at the centre of the royal family of Ayodhya in the epic. He shares the screen with Ranbir Kapoor, who headlines as Lord Ram.
- The role: Shatrughan in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana.
- The milestone: His first Bollywood feature film.
- The background: He previously played Sameer Verma in the streaming series Pyaar Paisa Profit.
Why the buzz cuts both ways
For a new actor stepping into a major mythological film, lookalike chatter is useful attention before the project’s promotional window takes over. It helps fans remember a name and creates an early reason to follow the epic.
There is also a familiar pattern at work. Films such as Ramayana arrive with enormous built-in familiarity, so audiences scan every new casting for something they already recognise. A resemblance is an easy anchor: it gives viewers a way to describe an unknown actor before they have seen him perform.
Lookalike chatter is not a criticism. It is simply the first way a portion of the audience is making sense of a new face. Sharma and Aaryan have separate careers; the comparison is a fan observation rather than a casting note.
The comparison is also an early signal of how social media shapes casting news. A newcomer is not just introduced through an official announcement; the audience introduces him through its own references and jokes. That can shape first impressions before a single scene has been watched.
The risk is that the comparison can become the whole story. Shatrughan is a meaningful part, and the role carries the responsibility of being part of a tale told across generations. Once the film begins its promotional cycle, Sharma will have to turn the curiosity into a conversation about his performance.
Fans who want to see more of him before Ramayana releases can catch his earlier streaming work in Pyaar Paisa Profit. For now, the focus is on the face. The larger test is still ahead.
Source: Filmibeat