Kohli’s decision to film Ramayana has nothing to do with politics
Filmmaker Kunal Kohli is upbeat about the most ambitious project of his life — a new take on the Ramayana. But he says there’s nothing political about it.
“I am doing a new interpretation of the Ramayana. Why another? Because I feel the message and characters are more relevant today than ever before. We’re living in times when the Ramayana asserts its value to us in unexpected ways,” says Kohli.
He shares that he is not casting “stars” for the film. “I am going with relative newcomers for the project. It is important to cast unfamiliar faces as established actors do not work in the mythological context,” said Kohli, who has zeroed in on the portions of the Ramayana he wants to include in his film.
“It is not possible to film the entire scripture. That was possible when late Ramanand Sagar shot it as a television series. In a film, one has to select certain portions,” he says.
“Now, the casting is in process. We plan to complete and release the film by next year,” Kohli reveals.
Is he attempting to be politically correct by making the Ramayana at a time when Hindutva is a big political force? “Not at all! I am not the least political. I don’t even pretend to understand politics. My decision has nothing to do politics,” said the filmmaker, who is known for films such as Hum Tum (2004) and Fanaa (2006).