- Ramayana makers opt to dub Sai Pallavi’s voice.
- Criticism over Hindi accent prompts voice dubbing decision.
- Sita role requires fluent Sanskrit-influenced Hindi.
- Film is a grand adaptation, with Ranbir Kapoor as Ram.
The makers of the ambitious Ramayana adaptation have reportedly taken a collective decision to dub Sai Pallavi’s voice in the film. Sai Pallavi, who plays the iconic role of Sita in the retelling of the Hindu epic, has faced criticism for her thick Tamil accent during her Hindi debut, Ek Din.
Ramayan Makers To Dub Sai Pallavi’s Voice
According to sources, the backlash over her Hindi diction has prompted Ramayana to ensure that her portrayal of Sita maintains linguistic clarity, especially given the mythological and pan-Indian nature of the project. Unlike Ek Din, where her character was written as a Tamilian to accommodate her natural speech pattern, no such creative flexibility is possible in Ramayana, where Sita is traditionally depicted as speaking fluent and refined Sanskrit-influenced Hindi.
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Sai Pallavi’s brief attempt at speaking Hindi during a promotional event for Ek Din also drew mixed reactions online, with sections of social media criticising her pronunciation.
“I think Sai Pallavi did this film just to get better with the Hindi dialogues and pronunciation for the role of Sita in the upcoming Ramayana,” said one social media user.
Another added, “Meet Sai Pallavi: Can’t speak basic words of Hindi. Now she’s playing Sita Mata in Ramayana.”
“What was Nitesh Tiwari even thinking while casting Sai Pallavi for Sita maa’s role, who can’t even speak proper Hindi? Horrendous casting man,” posted a third.
A fourth defended her, saying, “We also had Katrina and Jacqueline doing the same thing earlier.”
“Is this happening for the first time. Are you dumb? Actors learn the dialogue phonetically. They may not know the meaning, but remember every dialogue and then act. That’s how singers sing in so many different languages too. They don’t know a word in that language, but still are able to sing,” yet another joined.
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After being trolled for her Hindi, Sai Pallavi said, “I don’t think I was meant to do this and I think I am miscast. I feel so; I think it should have been a new person who had a little bit of flamboyance.”
This renewed scrutiny appears to have influenced the makers’ decision to opt for professional dubbing in Ramayan.
The film, directed on a grand scale and starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, is one of the most anticipated cinematic adaptations of the epic. Mounted on a budget of around Rs 4,000 crore, the film sees Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman.
Sai Pallavi In Ek Din
On the other hand, Ek Din producer Aamir Khan had earlier defended Sai Pallavi’s casting, stating that he deliberately chose her for her natural performance style. He also revealed that the language challenge in Ek Din was resolved by making her character Tamilian.
“I was very sure I wanted Sai Pallavi, and no one else for the film. She fitted into the part like a glove,” Aamir had said, praising her as one of the “best contemporary actors in Indian cinema”.
He further added that while her Hindi required adjustment initially, she quickly adapted to the language demands of the role, noting that several South Indian actors have successfully worked in Hindi cinema despite accents.
With Ramayana, however, the makers appear keen on maintaining a more linguistically neutral presentation, leading to the decision to dub Sai Pallavi’s dialogues.
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