Suhail Nayyar on Ramayana's scale, VFX and why the team deserves encouragement

Actor Suhail Nayyar believes the team behind director Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Rise of a Legend deserves encouragement rather than the pressure that comes with mounting a film of such scale. Having seen the filmmaking process up close, the actor says he has been struck by the visual ambition, the work going into its creation and the respect with which the epic is being approached.In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Nayyar opened up about joining the ambitious two-part adaptation, his reaction to its first glimpses, the young Indian artists working on its visual effects and why being part of the project feels like an honour.For Nayyar, the opportunity came after director Nitesh Tiwari took note of his performance in Saare Jahan Se Achha (2025). Casting director Mukesh Chhabra subsequently approached the actor’s agency to ask whether he would be interested in the project. The next step involved a separate process to assess his suitability for the character.“When I heard about it, I immediately said yes. You don’t choose something like Ramayana, it chooses you. It is God’s order,” he said. The actor plays Sugriva, the vanara king who becomes an ally of Lord Rama in the epic. For Nayyar, the opportunity also fulfils his professional wish of working with Tiwari. “I remember watching Dangal (2016) and wishing that I would get an opportunity to work with Nitesh sir. It didn’t happen with Chhichhore (2019) or Bawaal (2023), but now it has happened with Ramayana,” he said.The scale of the project makes the collaboration even more significant for the actor. With Tiwari directing, Pankaj Kumar behind the camera, and music by A R Rahman and Hans Zimmer, Nayyar finds himself part of a production that brings together several prominent names from Indian and international cinema. “I don’t analyse it that much. But when you sit with friends or someone brings it up in an interview, you realise that Nitesh sir is directing, Pankaj sir is shooting, and there will be music by Rahman sahab and Hans Zimmer. You think, wow,” he said.I am mesmerised by everythingAs the film’s promotional material begins to offer audiences a glimpse of its world, Nayyar says he is experiencing the excitement as a viewer himself. Having worked on the project, he is now curious to see how the finished film brings together the different elements he has witnessed during production.“I am not just following how people are reacting. I am reacting myself. This is the first time I am also watching everything and thinking, ‘Oh wow!’” he said. Nayyar will be seen in Ramayana: Part Two, and says the experience of working on the project has been unlike anything he has done before. “The world in which we are shooting is very different. I am mesmerised by everything, by the beautiful frames and how we are shooting it differently. The end product is so amazing that it is a lot of fun to watch,” he said.The process has also required him to approach his character differently, with physicality and voice becoming important parts of the performance. The actor is particularly eager to see how these elements come together on screen.“In this, you are creating everything differently, whether it is physicality, voice or anything else. I am very excited to see how my character will look and how people will resonate with it,” he added.Why he believes the team deserves supportA production of Ramayana’s scale inevitably invites scrutiny. The expectations are particularly high given the cultural significance of the epic and the ambition associated with its cinematic adaptation. Nayyar, however, believes the conversation around the film should also acknowledge the work happening behind the scenes. “I think people are taking too much pressure because, with pressure, scrutiny also increases. The intention is clear, and people should appreciate the intentions. So many people are working so hard on Ramayana,” he said. He mentioned specifically to the young Indian artists working on the film’s visual effects, describing a team that includes people in their late teens and early twenties.“There are young Indian people handling VFX. They are around 19 to 25 years old, and they work so hard. And this is just one part of the team,” Nayyar said, adding, “If the Indian cricket team is in the World Cup final, you don’t put pressure on the team. You give them your blessings and say, ‘You win, we are with you.’ You don’t put pressure on them. It is wrong.”I feel proud to be part of this projectWhile Nayyar acknowledges that audiences will ultimately form their own opinions, he says the atmosphere surrounding the film has left him feeling proud to be involved. “The intentions of the people working on this project are really pure, and I am saying this because I am a part of it. I have seen how these people conduct themselves and how they treat the written material,” he said.He also spoke about the respectful environment on set, describing the care with which the material is being approached. “The atmosphere on set, the way people speak respectfully, all of that makes me feel very proud that I am part of this project,” the actor added.Ramayana:Rise of a Legend theatrically releases in India on November 5, 2026.- Ends