Actor Ranbir Kapoor’s portrayal of Lord Rama in Ramayana: Rise of a Legend has won over several sceptics following the film’s release, after initially drawing intense online scrutiny over his casting. Offering insight into the actor's dedication to the role, his on-screen mother in the epic, Indira Krishnan, revealed that Ranbir turned completely vegetarian to play Lord Rama, adopting a strict lifestyle and fitness regime throughout the shoot.Speaking in an interview with Filmygyan, Indira — who essays the role of Queen Kaushalya in the Nitesh Tiwari directorial — detailed how Ranbir transformed his daily habits to embody the character. "He was completely a vegetarian in this entire process," she said."Because I have seen he would eat fruits, work out a lot — three hours in the morning and two to three hours in the evening.

So he had a regime. I had almost been living with him on the set.

Even his vanity had fruits. He was completely on the path to create Shri Rama inside and out.

Even the way he used to talk and behave with people," Indira added.The 55-year-old, who previously shared screen space with Ranbir in Animal, also spoke warmly about their off-screen camaraderie, noting that he often craved South Indian food during filming and regularly discussed his daughter Raha’s future education.Calling him an "all-rounder, fabulous actor and fabulous father," she added that he was her biggest supporter on set and frequently sought her feedback on his scenes. While shooting, she shared, she always saw Shri Ram in front of her rather than Ranbir.Addressing the backlash that trailed Ranbir since the film's first promotional material dropped, Indira defended the actor against online trolling. "We have this mentality that if someone is growing and is trying to perform a new character, we have a lot of audience who pull them down and troll them.

I have also met people who couldn't believe Ranbir played Lord Rama," she said.The initial resistance to Ranbir’s casting stemmed largely from a resurfaced 2011 interview in which he had described himself as a "big beef fan." There was also a debate over whether he could transition convincingly into Lord Rama after playing the violent, aggressive Ranvijay Singh in director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal (2023).Ramayana: Rise of a Legend's future global box office fate depends largely on domestic holdovers and overseas demand remaining solid. The film also features Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Yash as Ravana.

The film theatrically released on November 5, 2026.The sequel of the film is scheduled to release on Diwali 2028. The post-credits scene of Ramayana: Rise of a Legend has already introduced Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, set to feature in the second instalment.- Ends