Yash Reveals His 7-Year-Old Son Yatharv Was Upset About Him Playing Ravana In Ramayana: 'I Am Rama In Real Life...'

Kannada superstar Yash will be seen portraying Ravana, the antagonist, in Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming film Ramayana: Rise Of A Legend, which stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Sai Pallavi as Sita. Ahead of the film's theatrical release on November 5, Yash revealed that his seven-year-old son, Yatharv, struggled to accept him playing Ravana. The actor admitted that the conversation caught him off guard, as he had never really considered how his son might react to seeing him portray the demon king while working on the film.

Yash Says His Son Struggled To Accept Him As Ravana In Ramayana

In a conversation with television presenter Suma Kanakala on her YouTube channel, Yash revealed that his children grew up listening to the Ramayana from their grandparents. Explaining his son's reaction to him playing Ravana, the actor said that for a son, his father is his hero. Since Yatharv was familiar with the epic, he was taken aback by his father's casting as the demon king and asked, "You are Ravana?! How can you be Ravana? Aren't you Rama?"

Yash added, "So, I said, ‘Yes, I am Rama in real life, but in the movie, I am playing Ravana.’ But he was like, ‘Then you are the bad guy.’ So, I explained to him about cinema and acting, showing him drawings and all of that."

Yash Recalls Son's Confusion

Yash further revealed that when his son asked whom he should root for while watching the film, he found himself in a difficult spot. The actor admitted that even his fans might have a similar question about why he chose to play Ravana, especially in scenes such as Sita Apaharan, where his character is not meant to be liked.

Explaining how he addressed his son's confusion, Yash said he told him that Lord Ram is the ideal figure to follow in the epic, regardless of Ravana's glamorous, powerful or larger-than-life portrayal. He added that while his son could root for him in the film, he should not take the character's actions personally.

Yash said, "When we listen to the story, it is Rama whom everybody has to follow. Ravana might look glamorous, fancy, or powerful. But ultimately, if you have to win, you have to understand the essence of Lord Rama. However, in the movie, you can root for me. But don't take it personally."

Yatharv further questioned his father about whether he would die or lose in the film. Yash then had to reassure his son that he was merely portraying a character on screen and that the events in the film were separate from real life.