‘Sai Pallavi Deserves Respect, Not Doubts Over Her Casting’

The debate over Sai Pallavi’s casting as Sita in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana has resurfaced after veteran actor Annu Kapoor questioned whether she was the right choice for the iconic role. Kapoor expressed reservations about Sai Pallavi portraying Sita, a figure revered by millions of Hindus as a mother.

Filmmaker Hemanth Madhukar has now come out strongly in Sai Pallavi’s defence, calling the criticism “unfortunate” and saying the actress has repeatedly proved her mettle across Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam cinema.

“Questioning Sai Pallavi’s immense talent is unfortunate. She is one of the finest performers from the South and deserves every bit of respect for being chosen to play such a prestigious role in a Bollywood epic,” he says.

Hemanth also rejected the argument that physical appearance should determine who plays Sita.

“If the objection is that only a fair-skinned actress should portray Sita, that is simply not correct. Director Nitesh Tiwari is the best person to decide who fits the role, and I believe he has made the right choice. Sai Pallavi will effortlessly bring the character alive because it is a performance-driven role, especially after Sita is taken to Ashoka Vatika. The part demands tremendous emotional depth, and only a handful of actresses can do justice to it,” he adds.

Recalling memorable portrayals of Sita in South Indian cinema, Hemanth cites Anjali in Lava Kusa, Jayaprada in Seetha Kalyanam, Nayanthara in Sri Rama Rajyam and Revathi in the Tamil film Ilangeswaran. “I have no doubt she will excel in the role,” he says.

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“Her talent justifies the casting”

Ace cinematographer Chota K. Naidu has also thrown his weight behind Sai Pallavi’s casting. “Sai Pallavi is playing the revered role of Goddess Sita, the daughter of Bhoodevi. Sita embodies patience, compassion, grace and inner strength. Good looks alone do not guarantee success. It is talent that justifies Sai Pallavi’s casting. Look at Priyanka Chopra’s success in Hollywood.”

Responding to the trolling over Sai Pallavi’s language skills, Naidu says: “English or Hindi are just a language. It has nothing to do with Sai Pallavi’s talent as an actress. Jackie Chan and director John Woo created waves in Hollywood despite not being fluent in English. Talent has always spoken louder than language.”