Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, marks the triumph of good over evil, celebrating Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana and Goddess Durga’s defeat of Mahishasura. It concludes Durga Puja and Navaratri with sacred rituals. On this occasion, Indira Krishnan, set to play Maa Kaushalya in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, spoke to mid-day about the festival, her role, and working with Ranbir Kapoor.
Indira Krishnan on Dussehra celebrations
For Krishnan, Dussehra is not about decorating homes but about celebrating the inner strength of women. “Dussehra is more of a celebration from within. The nine days of Navratri embody the strength of a woman and remind me of challenges I’ve faced and overcome powerfully,” she shared.
Asked if her career reflects this spirit of overcoming challenges, she said, “I’ve faced many hurdles. I’ve seen the industry change over 24 years. Some actors once popular have disappeared. For me, the beauty lies in seeing success as consistency.”
On playing Kaushalya in Ramayana
When asked if playing Kaushalya has changed her, Krishnan said, “I`m very excited to look forward to portraying Kaushalya. First of all, it has changed me a lot because it gave me a very different podium. I worked with some extraordinarily skilled people. This is something once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of one of the greatest epics of India.” She added, “When Ranbir walked onto the set, I felt he is sakshat Ram because of the way he worked on himself.”
Indira Krishnan on working with Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir essays the role of Lord Rama in the film, and his transformation for the film is commendable. The actress shares how he is an extraordinary human who balances success and family life in the right way. “Ranbir has been one of my favorite actors. He`s been an extraordinary human on the set. He really addresses people with respect, with a lot of kindness. And that`s what he did with me too. I did see how he handles success and personal life. The way he looks after family and love Raha, I really love that man. I remember my son came with his friends, and he spent time with them with kindness.”
However, the actress expressed disappointment as she could not meet Yash as Ravana, as he was shooting at a different location. “He is a brilliant choice as Ravana. It was very unfortunate that I couldn`t meet Yash on set as he shot at a different location. But he and Ranbir, they are the prime pillars of the epic.”
She also heaped praise on Sai Pallavi, stating how Adipurush and Ramayana can’t be compared, as the former was flawed. Indira Krishnan concluded, “You can’t compare Adipurush to this. I feel Adipurush went wrong in many areas, and Ramayana has been carefully planned and structured beautifully. Nothing has moved out of the original epic. It’s insane to compare that to this. We have Sai Pallavi playing Sita, and she has done a brilliant, natural job.”
