Mumbai, July 30 — Actor Nitish Bharadwaj, known for his portrayal of Lord Krishna in the television epic Mahabharat, has urged Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor to protect his “vaani” and refrain from taking on films similar to Animal.

On Thursday, Bharadwaj shared the poster of the upcoming film Ramayana on Instagram and praised the project’s scale and creative ambition. In a detailed caption he wrote: “My views on Ramayan trailer, 100% Oscar for Best Foreign Film. Namit Badhaee. Nitesh Tiwari is Bharat’s next gift to the world cinema after Satyajit Rai & Shekhar Kapoor. Tens of awards for Production design & DOP. Wonderful period creation using VFx & AI. Thanks to a great music maestro Hans Zimmer for collaborating with Indian cinema. Ranbir now at par with Ranvir as the next 2 unbeatable Dhurandhars. Yash - welcome to global cinema.”

He then addressed Kapoor directly on the question of social responsibility. “RK, always loved you as an actor but now starts your social responsibility to uphold Bharat’s heritage, values, culture & ethos. So no more ANIMAL even if the goldmine is offered to you. Plz do not pollute your Vaani anymore. Bharat has enough stories to satiate your acting prowess. I only hope that Bharateeyas will accept Sai Pallavi as Sita & I can also hear Tulsidas ji’s CHAUPAEES amidst Mridangam & Manjira somewhere in the film. That’s the sound identity of this Maha-Kavvya in every Bharateeya’s soul. Will want to see RAMYAN at least 5 times as my respect to Nitesh’s toil of making this magnum opus.”

Kapoor had earlier faced polarised reactions and criticism for his role in Animal, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. The film drew objections over its portrayal of violence and themes that many viewers described as misogynistic.

The trailer of Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, was released in the early hours of Thursday. It presents a heavily VFX-driven interpretation of the Indian epic and is scheduled for theatrical release on November 8, 2026.

Bharadwaj’s comments combine strong endorsement of Ramayana’s artistic and technical ambition with a clear appeal to Kapoor to align future choices with what the actor views as India’s cultural and ethical heritage. By contrasting the new project with Animal, he positioned the epic as an opportunity for Kapoor to exercise greater responsibility in the roles he accepts.