Nikitin Dheer on upcoming Mahayudh in Sony SAB’s Shrimad Ramayan 

As Shrimad Ramayan is set to transition to Sony SAB with the epic battle of Lord Ram (played by Sujay Reu) and Raavan (Nikitin Dheer) airing on August 12th at 7.30 pm, viewers are in for a divine treat. The story moves towards the end of the current chapter as Lord Ram is set to defeat Raavan in the Mahayudh. This also marks the beginning of the new phase which features the return of Lord Ram and Sita to Ayodhaya and the establishment of the Ram Rajya. 

In a candid conversation, Nikitin Dheer reminiscences about playing Raavan, the upcoming Mahayudh, and how he understood the human psyche while playing this intense character.

The upcoming 1-hour episode on Sony SAB features the epic Mahayudh. How did you prepare for this dramatic climax?
The Mahayudh is the ultimate climax of the current phase of the story, full of action and a dynamic victory of good over evil. Preparing for this intense performance, I worked on my physical strength and endurance to keep my energy high. I had rigorous rehearsals to maintain the emotional intensity of Raavan's final moments and ensure the battle scenes were delivered impactfully.

Reflecting on your journey portraying Raavan, what were some of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of bringing such a complex character to life?
Playing Raavan has been a fantastic journey to be honest. I think it is every actor’s dream to play a character like Raavan, who is so magnanimous and grand in so many ways. Along with the darkness and rage that he carried, Raavan also had grit, devotion, and determination. There’s a lot to learn from Raavan. This was one of the rewarding aspects for me, to bring out the other side of Raavan.

How did you balance staying true to the traditional depiction of Raavan while adding your own unique interpretation?
When we started shooting for the show, one thing was made clear that Shrimad Ramayan is a mythological show and mythologies should be shown as it is, without anyone interpreting it. Before starting the shoot, I read a lot about Ramayan and we followed writer Anand Neelakanthan’s vision for the show as his knowledge on this subject is vast. We also have Vinod Sharma on board, who is an expert on Hindu history. So, whenever I had questions, and I had quite a few of them, I would turn to them. Knowledge enables you to prepare better for a character.

How did you work on Raavan’s physical demeanor to align with the character’s larger-than-life persona?
A lot of it has come naturally to me in terms of physical demeanor and body language. I've even gained weight specifically for the character, which worked in our favor on screen. The rest involves a mental transformation and understanding the character's perspective. It's crucial to fall in love with your character to portray them in the best way possible.

Can you share any memorable moments from your time on the show that stood out to you?
This is the kind of role that I have always wanted to do and I am glad that I finally got the chance and the audience also liked my portrayal. I will always remember the amount of discussion I had with the directors and writers about Raavan. When I studied him closely, I realised that he is not a black character, he is grey. All his emotions were very heightened, and that was the stark difference between Raavan and Shri Ram. Shri Ram used to think, speak, and do things after understanding them. But Raavan’s emotions like love, anger, envy were an explosion for him. So, once you read and understand the intricacy of the character, it is a privilege for any actor to play his character because you land up learning so much about human psyche. There's no emotion that Raavan lacks.