Sai Pallavi’s portrayal of Sita in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1 has become a talking point among viewersOne of the sequences showing Sita wielding a sword during a battle with demons has sparked
Published: November 10, 2026, 10:54 AM IST
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Indira Krishnan plays Kaushalya in Ramayana (PC-Instagram)
Sai Pallavi’s portrayal of Sita in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1 has become a talking point among viewersOne of the sequences showing Sita wielding a sword during a battle with demons has sparked discussions about how the character has been presented in the filmWhile some viewers are questioning this depiction, actor Indira Krishnan, who plays Kaushalya, has shared her thoughts on the scene and explained the filmmakers’ approach.
Indira admitted that the warrior portrayal was different from the version of Sita she had grown up watchingShe told News18, “I would also go with the audienceAs a child, when I watched Ramayan, I never saw Sita as a warrior.” She further added, “I couldn’t connect this bit with what I had watched in the old television show”.
However, Indira also defended the makers’ decision, explaining that the scene was meant to highlight Sita’s strength and courage. “The makers wanted to portray that Sita isn’t weakShe belonged to a family of warriors where they made sure that the girl child learns the art of wielding a swordThrough the sequence, they’ve depicted the valour of Sita, who was otherwise soft-minded.”
Interestingly, Sita’s portrayal as a warrior is also explored in some alternative and lesser-known interpretations of the epic, including Adbhuta Ramayana and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s 2019 novel The Forest of Enchantments.
Indira Krishnan on strong female characters in Ramayana
One of the notable aspects of Ramayana is its attempt to give its female characters more importance and individualityThe film presents women beyond their traditional roles as wives and mothers, highlighting their strength and influence in the story.
Talking about the approach, Indira said, “In our film, every woman has her own strengthFor instance, when they cast me as Kaushalya, they didn’t want a mother with a sad faceShe’s emotional but strong and confident at the same timeEven for Kaikasi, they didn’t show her so much in the old RamayanPeople weren’t aware that Ravana’s mother was a warrior herselfThis bit suprised everyone.”
Praising Shobana’s portrayal of Kaikasi, she added, “People are loving Shobana as KaikasiShe has done a brilliant jobThe same can be said for SurpanakhaShe was very proud of being Ravana’s sisterShe fell weak only when she saw RamaBut no woman depicted in our film is weakOur makers didn’t change history or mythologyThey simply highlighted what a woman should be,”
Indira Krishnan on playing Kaushalya
Indira Krishnan plays Mata Kaushalya in Ramayana
Indira also spoke about her role as Kaushalya and the amount of screen time she received in the filmResponding to questions about her character’s presence in the story, the actor explained that Kaushalya’s importance goes beyond the number of scenes she appears in.
She said, “Without Kaushalya, there’s no RamaIn a few takes, he’s even addressed as ‘Kaushalya nandan Rama’In the scenes where she’s not there, her presence is still felt – the intercut scene between Kaikeyi and Manthara, for exampleThe portrayal of Kaushalya in Ramayana, in totality, was to the T.”
Admitting that she would have liked a few more scenes, Indira said she was happy that none of her portions were removed during editing. “Yes, as an artist, you always wonder that you could’ve had a few more scenesBut I’m happy that none of my scenes got edited outNitesh sir was very clear when he had said, ‘I want Kaushalya to be seen this much and she should be in every frame till Rama exits Ayodhya.’ And he kept his word,” adds the Animal and Tere Naam actor.
