Rakul Preet Singh on Playing Surpanakha in Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana: ‘She Was Apparently the Most Beautiful Woman of Lanka’

Rakul Preet Singh is preparing to explore a character unlike any she has played before as she takes on the role of Surpanakha in Nitesh Tiwari’s highly anticipated Ramayana.

The ambitious adaptation stars Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi and brings together some of Indian cinema’s most recognisable names. For Rakul, however, one of the most compelling aspects of joining the project was the opportunity to portray Surpanakha beyond the familiar image of her as simply an antagonist.

Speaking about her approach to the character, Rakul said that the enduring appeal of stories from the Ramayana lies partly in the way different generations continue to interpret its characters while remaining connected to the essence of the original epic.

“Every few years, you see a different interpretation and presentation of these characters, while keeping the essence rooted in the original text. As an actor, you only look at a character from that lens, that it’s a character that has layers, that has the possibility and ability to shine through the film,” she said.

Why Rakul Preet Singh Chose to Play Surpanakha

Surpanakha is one of the most widely recognised characters associated with the Ramayana, but her story is often viewed primarily through the events that contribute to the larger conflict between Rama and Ravana.

Rakul said she was drawn to the opportunity to explore the character’s complexities and a broader dimension of her personality.

“She was apparently the most beautiful woman of Lanka. She had an ego, but then she was layered. As an actor, it’s fun to explore those layers,” Rakul said.

For the actor, the role offered the chance to approach Surpanakha as a character with her own emotions, experiences and journey rather than viewing her only through the most familiar episodes associated with her.

That depth, she explained, was one of the reasons the part immediately appealed to her.

A Side of Surpanakha That Rakul Had Not Explored Before

Rakul also revealed that reading the script introduced her to aspects of Surpanakha’s journey that she had not previously known about.

“There was a lot about her that I didn’t know. When I read the script, there was a lot about her life before and after that incident where her nose is chopped off by Lakshman,” she said.

Her comments suggest that the film’s screenplay explores the character’s story in greater detail, including events surrounding the well-known encounter with Rama and Lakshman.

For Rakul, discovering these additional dimensions made the role particularly interesting.

“What happens in Surpanakha’s life and how she meets, stumbles upon Ram—there’s a lot which I didn’t know, which for me was new when I read the script, and which is why I liked it,” she added.

Reinterpreting an Epic Character for the Screen

Characters from Indian epics have been portrayed in cinema, television and theatre for decades. As a result, audiences often come to new adaptations with strong expectations shaped by earlier versions and traditional retellings.

Rakul’s comments highlight one of the central creative challenges of playing such a role: finding new emotional dimensions while remaining connected to the source material.

Different adaptations have historically presented epic characters through different lenses. While the central story remains familiar, filmmakers often explore characters with greater psychological depth or focus on perspectives that have received less attention in previous retellings.

For an actor, that can create an opportunity to move beyond a conventional understanding of a character.

Rakul appears to see Surpanakha as precisely that kind of role—one with a familiar identity but room for deeper exploration.

Ramayana Brings Together a Major Cast

Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is among the most closely watched upcoming Indian film projects because of its scale and cast.

The film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi, while Rakul Preet Singh’s portrayal of Surpanakha adds another significant character from the epic to the adaptation.

The project has attracted considerable attention as audiences wait to see how the filmmakers approach one of India’s most frequently retold and culturally significant stories.

Epic adaptations face the challenge of balancing audience familiarity with a fresh cinematic perspective. Every new version is examined not only for its performances and technical scale but also for how it interprets characters whose stories are already deeply known to viewers.

What Makes Surpanakha an Interesting Character for an Actor?

Rakul’s interest in the role reflects the changing way mythological and epic characters are sometimes approached in modern storytelling.

Rather than treating every character as purely heroic or villainous, contemporary adaptations often examine motivation, emotion and personal history.

Surpanakha’s character has traditionally been associated with a pivotal episode in the Ramayana. Rakul, however, has indicated that the script offered her more to explore.

For an actor, a layered role can provide a wider emotional range and an opportunity to examine the character from multiple perspectives.

Rakul’s remarks suggest that her decision to join the project was influenced not simply by the scale of Ramayana but by the depth she found in Surpanakha’s written journey.

Rakul Preet Singh Steps Into Unexplored Territory

The role represents new creative territory for Rakul, who has worked across multiple film industries and genres throughout her career.

Playing a character from an epic comes with a different set of expectations from playing a contemporary fictional role. The character already carries cultural familiarity, and audiences may have their own understanding of how she should be portrayed.

Rakul has acknowledged the importance of different interpretations while emphasising the need to remain rooted in the original material.

Her approach appears to centre on treating Surpanakha first as a character with multiple layers and emotional dimensions.

That perspective could become one of the most interesting aspects of her performance when the film reaches audiences.

The Bigger Picture

Rakul Preet Singh’s comments offer an early insight into why Surpanakha appealed to her as an actor.

For her, the attraction lies in the opportunity to explore a character beyond a single defining episode. The script, she said, revealed parts of Surpanakha’s life and journey that she had not previously known about.

“She had an ego, but then she was layered. As an actor, it’s fun to explore those layers,” Rakul said.

As anticipation builds around Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, audiences will eventually see how the film interprets its iconic characters for a new generation.