“I Wanted to Watch It Among Strangers”: Mahesh Bhatt Explains Why He Skipped the Ramayana Premiere and Praises Ranbir’s Rama
Mahesh Bhatt tells Variety India he skipped the Ramayana premiere to watch among strangers, and praises Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi and Nitesh Tiwari.
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who is Ranbir Kapoor’s father-in-law, did not attend the premiere of “Ramayana,” which was released on November 5 and drew many prominent Bollywood names. Speaking to Variety India, he said he chose to watch the film in an ordinary cinema hall. He wanted the personal and shared experience of watching a film among strangers.
Memories of the Epic
Bhatt said his first introduction to Ram came through his mother’s voice, as she narrated the story to him and his siblings. He recalled that he was too young to follow every detail, but the characters and emotions stayed with him. At 12, he saw Babubhai Mistry’s “Sampoorna Ramayan.” One scene, in which Sita is sent away from Ayodhya and prays to Mother Earth to receive her, made him cry, and he still feels the pain of the injustice done to her.
