Ramayan Film Draws Criticism Over Historical Accuracy
News Desk
New Delhi: The upcoming Indian epic film ‘Ramayan’ has found itself at the center of a growing discussion over the challenges of recreating ancient stories for modern audiences, with the film’s costume design becoming the latest point of debate.
The trailer of Nitish Tiwari’s much-anticipated mythological drama has generated widespread attention, but instead of focusing only on its star-studded cast and storyline, viewers have been closely examining the appearance and outfits of the characters.
Featuring actors including Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol and Rakesh Roshan, the big-budget production has drawn questions over the historical representation of costumes, particularly the stitched blouses worn by female characters.
Some social media users questioned the accuracy of the outfits worn by Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita, and Lara Dutta, who portrays Kaikeyi, arguing that stitched blouses were not commonly associated with the era depicted in the Ramayana.
Fashion experts joined the discussion, explaining that ancient Indian clothing traditions largely relied on draped and unstitched garments, while stitched blouses became more widespread centuries later. Fashion academic Mitali Ambekar said historical clothing practices differed significantly from modern representations seen in films and television.
Costume designer Nidhi Yasha highlighted the difficulties filmmakers face while adapting ancient stories, saying that completely replicating historical or artistic references may not always be suitable for present-day audiences.
Defending the film’s costume choices, designers Rimple and Harpreet Narula said there are limited authentic visual references available for clothing from the Ramayana period. They explained that their designs focused on portraying simplicity, dignity and the spiritual nature of the characters.
The debate also extended to the contrasting looks of Sita and Shoorpanakha, with some viewers questioning whether traditional cinema continues to use costumes to symbolize the difference between good and evil characters. The designers said the variations were created to reflect the personalities and roles of the characters.
The controversy has renewed discussions around the balance between historical authenticity, cultural sensitivity and creative interpretation in films based on religious and mythological stories.
