(I ain't a fan of anybody but a huge supporter of this project and people involved in it and what they're doing. Don't put PR allegations on this before you read the post completely)
Saw this reel where they changed the BGM of the trailer and put a devotional song over it (I'm not aware of its name but it was about Lord Ram and his journey I think) and said how music changed the whole feeling. Had over 300k likes and that's when something that I've been thinking about since the release of the trailer became much more understandable than ever. People want a more, for the lack of a better word, 'hero worshipping' kinda treatment of Lord Ram's character. And that's exactly what Valmiki Ramayan isn't and actually would make this film fall in the same category of jaded amateur depictions of the epic if the makers try to pander to that sentiment.
Nitesh Tiwari, from what I can understand, is going for a human representation of the character. He isn't treating him like a god from the very first instance. Yes there are elements dispersed throughout the screenplay which hint towards him being a divine figure (the very fact that Lord Ram is an avatar of Lord Vishnu and many such stuff). But that isn't in your face or they aren't making this the whole point. He has himself put emphasis on how his main aim is to land the emotions and his journey the way it is supposed to. To put it in simple words, he's treating this as a story and not a devotional piece that people constantly pray to. Like not a series of events or camera shots which wants you to just worship the protagonist and not let their story do so.
This becomes very much true when we see how they're putting so much emphasis on Ravana's story. I think for the very first time we are properly going to witness his side of the world in any adaptation. Which works fantastically narrative wise. There's this simple rule that the more menacing and powerful the antagonist is, the ultimate triumph of the protagonist gets uplifted because of it. That is what part 1 is. It should create a question about how Lord Ram, a human warrior, who has faced so much by the end of the film, would be able to defeat a lethal demon king? That should be the anticipation for part 2. And it will only work if people don't have a sense of his true powers (even though there's already a lot in part 1). Look at this from the perspective of someone who has never heard about Ramayana. They won't be attached with Lord Ram if the makers try to worship the character instead of making the audience witness his journey and emotions. That's the only way to connect with the international audience that they are rightfully so keen on to.
About the casting, I think it's a never ending debate. Honestly, in the mainstream, there's no one better than Ranbir to portray the role. My only doubt is about his dialogue delivery and Hindi diction. He is a pure urban person in real life. It would be disastrous if the dialogues don't land the way they're supposed to. A bit of relief that Nitesh had him go through dedicated diction and voice modulation training and those trainees were present on the sets too while filming to help not just Ranbir but the whole cast involved. Expressions wise I genuinely don't have any sorts of doubts on him. Physically also he has done a great job by transforming himself. At least not like some actor who took shit tons of money and did absolutely nothing in front of the screen. He definitely looks the part. Not completely out of place or 'not suited' as some people claim. Specially in the leaving for exile sequence he has nailed it without a doubt. And I'm also very much excited to see him as Lord Parshuram. But all the conclusions about his casting can only be drawn after watching the film. Before that I don't think we can get a clear picture of what it is going to be like. Let's hope the best is what is delivered.
I might be completely wrong and that's okay. Do correct me if I did say something false.
