Ranbir Kapoor says Rakul Preet’s Surpanakha will surprise

The Ramayana team stops to single out Surpanakha

At a recent Ramayana event, the conversation did not settle on the usual heroes. Instead, Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, Karan Johar and Dil Raju used the stage to highlight Rakul Preet Singh’s Surpanakha, the character whose actions quietly push the epic forward.

Ranbir was direct. He said audiences know and like Rakul, but they have not seen her until they watch this performance. He added that he has seen the film many times and that she is going to surprise viewers. Karan Johar went even further on the character’s significance, calling it the most important and crucial role in the story.

The enthusiasm is a small shift from how big-canvas epics are usually sold, where the main heroes and central love story dominate the conversation. Here, the team chose to foreground a figure whose name often arrives later.

Why Rakul’s Surpanakha deserves the spotlight

Surpanakha is usually remembered as a catalyst rather than a lead, so the praise from the film’s team reframes her as a performance to watch rather than a footnote. Dil Raju noted that the character’s actions significantly change the course of the entire narrative. That makes the casting a narrative bet, not just a supporting turn.

Sai Pallavi, who has worked with Rakul before, said this reunion felt even more special because the two play such different and vibrant characters. She described the on-set energy as unusual in a good way and predicted Rakul will “kill it” as Surpanakha. Yash tied the moment to Rakul’s Telugu film history, saying audiences will see her “in full glory.”

Rakul Preet Singh has built a career across Hindi and Telugu releases, but Surpanakha asks for something different: a performance that can feel menacing, wounded and pivotal all at once. If the team’s confidence is shared by audiences, this could become one of the most discussed turns of the film.

What to track as Ramayana builds

For fans, the first look and trailer will be the real test of how Surpanakha is styled, lit and framed. Keep an eye on whether she gets a distinct visual identity and whether the campaign presents her as a threat, a tragic figure or both.

• The role: Surpanakha, whose actions redirect the story of the Ramayana.
• The backing: Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, Karan Johar and Dil Raju all endorsed the performance.
• The promise: A surprise turn from Rakul Preet Singh that could become the film’s breakout conversation.

Rakul’s casting is already reframing how Surpanakha may be seen in one of India’s best-known epics. If the performance lands the way the team says it will, the character could become a talking point long before its release.

Source: bollywoodHungama.com

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#Indian Cinema#Rakul Preet Singh#Ramayana#Ranbir Kapoor#Sai Pallavi#Surpanakha#Yash