Anjali Arora talks about filming ‘Shri Ramayan Katha’ at real locations amid VFX debate over ‘Ramayana’
Mumbai, Sep 3 (IANS) Actress Anjali Arora has opened up about her experience of filming Shri Ramayan Katha at real locations in Chitrakoot.
The makers recently unveiled a BTS clip offering a glimpse of Anjali and Dev Sharma, who portray Sita and Ram, shooting amid the real landscapes of Chitrakoot in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. This comes amid the ongoing debate over the alleged extensive use of VFX in Ranbir Kapoor’s forthcoming project “Ramayana.”
Nitesh Tiwari’s directorial has drawn considerable attention online, with its visual effects and CGI becoming a major talking point following the release of its promotional teasers and trailers. Some viewers have criticized the film’s visual treatment, describing the effects as overly glossy and heavily computer-generated.
Sharing her experience of filming the film at real locations, Anjali said, “Shooting in Chitrakoot was a very different experience for me. While we were there, I kept imagining how Ram ji and Sita ji must have spent their days in these forests during their Vanvaas. It made me realize how difficult those 14 years must have been—living away from everything familiar and adapting to a completely different life.”
“At the same time, there is something very peaceful and divine about the real forests here. You can actually feel a certain stillness in the surroundings, and being there as Sita ji made me connect with the character in a much deeper way. It’s an experience I will genuinely carry with me,” she added.
Dev Sharma added, “Shooting in Chitrakoot, a place so closely associated with Ram ji’s Vanvaas, was a deeply special experience. Standing amidst these forests made me think about the journey Ram ji undertook and the strength and resilience it must have required. The real location brought a completely different emotion to the portrayal.”
A source revealed that the makers made a distinctive filmmaking choice by moving away from elaborate sets and extensive VFX and instead filming at real locations associated with the movie.
Among the major Ramayana-based projects, including Adipurush, Ranbir Kapoor and Yash’s Ramayana, and Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha, the latter is reportedly the only one to have been shot at locations mentioned in the epic.
For the unversed, Chitrakoot is considered an important place in the epic and is traditionally believed to be where Lord Ram, Mata Sita, and Lakshman spent part of their 14-year Vanvaas. The place is also remembered for the emotional meeting between Ram and his brother Bharat, who travelled there and urged Ram to return to Ayodhya and take back the throne.
“Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha” is slated to release in Hindi and Chhattisgarhi languages on 25th September.
–IANS
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