When Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana opens on November 5, filmmaker Siddharth P Malhotra will arrive with a very specific first priority. It is not his distant cousin Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Rama; it is Ravie Dubey, who plays Lakshman.
A filmmaker’s first-day loyalty goes to Lakshman
Malhotra told NDTV he is “dying” to watch the film and explained the bond that comes before stardom. He launched Dubey in television with Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar and describes him as a younger brother.
“I am dying to watch it. I love the look, but I love Ravi Dubey in it.”
He added that he is rooting for Dubey and will watch the film for him first, before Ranbir. For a filmmaker, that is a meaningful public endorsement of an actor he helped introduce.
The family connection, explained
Siddharth P Malhotra is not a Kapoor by name, but he is linked through marriage. His grandfather was veteran actor Prem Nath, brother of Krishna Malhotra, who was married to Raj Kapoor. That makes him and Ranbir distant cousins.
He told NDTV he was closer to the older generation of the Kapoor family and knew Kareena and Ranbir mainly as cousins. So his first reason to watch Ramayana sits outside the family tree, with a friend and former discovery.
Why that personal note matters
It is a small but telling detail ahead of one of Hindi cinema’s biggest releases. Ramayana is reportedly mounted on a ₹4,000 crore budget and planned as a two-part film. The first part is the event film of the season.
- Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama
- Ravie Dubey as Lakshman
- Sai Pallavi as Sita
- Yash as Ravana
- Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman
Backed by Namit Malhotra and Yash, the first part had its world premiere in Los Angeles on October 28, where reports suggest international audiences responded warmly.
Can Siddharth earn a film with Ranbir?
Malhotra also admitted he wants to work with Ranbir, calling him “the best actor in the country.” But he said he would have to offer a script beyond what top-tier filmmakers can give to earn the chance. He feels the same way about Alia Bhatt.
That is an honest window into how even film-family relationships have to run through material, not just lineage.
Source: Hindustan Times