Bollywood Hungama

Before Ranbir Kapoor, only THIS actor has played Lord Rama and Lord Parshurama in the same project

Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwaris Ramayana is one of the most keenly-awaited films of recent times. This can be seen from how it has been in the news ever since it was announced. The movies strong advance booking, as reported by Bollywood Hungama, is also proof of it. Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, as we all know. But this isnt the only character he is playing in the film. As seen in the first trailer and confirmed by him later, he is also playing Lord Parshurama in the movie. This is a rare feat as there is only actor in the history of Indian entertainment to do that before him. The reason for Rama and Parshurama crossing paths was Goddess Sitas Swayamvar. As per the rules of the Swayamvar laid down by Sitas father King Janaka, the person who would break the Shiv Dhanush (bow of Lord Shiva) would be eligible to marry his daughter. Of all the kings and princes present at the Swayamvar, only Rama is able to break the bow. Hence, he and Sita are married off. However, an angry Parshurama enters the scene. As he is an ardent devotee of Shiva, he is offended to see the bow being broken. This is when Rama and Parshurama, both avatars of Vishnu, come face-to-face. The trailer of Ramayana features this moment briefly. Veteran actor Nitish Bharadwaj, known for playing Lord Krishna in BR Chopras classic television show Mahabharat (1988), is that actor who played both Rama and Parshurama in the same project. He did that in the TV show Vishnu Puran (2000), which was also made by BR Chopra. On one hand, he played the calm and composed Prince of Ayodhya while on the other, he managed to pull off an angry Parshurama. Nitish Bharadwaj, however, didnt stop at playing Rama and Parshurama in Vishnu Puran. As per the format of the show, he, along with Vishnu, also played his other avatars like Vamana and Krishna. How Ranbir has performed the face off scene between the two avatars of Vishnu will be known only once Ramayana releases on November 5. As Bharadwajs feat was for TV, Ranbir is the only actor to achieve this in a feature film. Also Read: Ranbir Kapoor says portraying Lord Rama in Ramayan was a huge responsibility: My first instinct was fear, the fear of whether I was worthy of it