Anupam Kher reveals he postponed dubbing for Jatayu in ‘Ramayana’: ‘I’m not prepared for this’ | Hindi Movie News

Since its November 5 theatrical release, ‘Ramayana: Part 1′ has been pulling in audiences with its spectacular visuals and large-scale action. The face-off between Raavana and Jatayu, in which Jatayu tries to save Sita from Raavana, has emerged as a standout moment for viewers. In Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious take on the epic, Jatayu is voiced by veteran actor Anupam Kher.

Anupam Kher on being approached to voice Jatayu in ‘Ramayana’

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Anupam talked about how he prepared for the role and shared that the emotionally intense sequence took him extra time to dub. He also looked back on the buzz that Amitabh Bachchan would be the voice of Jatayu. “Sometime last year, in April or May, Namit Malhotra spoke to me about the opportunity to voice Jatayu. I was curious because there had been rumours of Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan doing it earlier. I have read the Ramayana, and I’ve performed as one character or another during the plays in my childhood. So I went to see what they had made. They showed me a nine-minute clip of what the film was about, and I was blown away,” said Kher.

Anupam Kher was ‘not prepared’ for the Jatayu battle sequence

The actor shared that he was originally scheduled to start dubbing on the very day he saw the clip. But after watching the Ravana-Jatayu battle, he decided to hold off. “I was supposed to dub the same day. But then they showed me the Jatayu battle sequence with Ravana. Watching it, I was quite taken aback and I said, ‘I’m not prepared for this.’ So I came back the next day,” he recalled.

Anupam Kher needed extra time to dub Jatayu’s emotional scene

He further explained that in a regular film, he would rarely need more than 20 minutes to dub a sequence, but Jatayu’s 10-12 lines called for a different approach. He needed time to get to grips with the character’s emotions, especially in the final emotional scene between Jatayu and Lord Rama.

‘Ramayana: Part 1’ cast, crew and Part 2 release date

‘Ramayana: Part 1’ features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Raavana and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, the two-part adaptation will continue with Part 2, slated to release in 2028.