At the 2026 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), Yash spoke about the challenge of playing Ravana in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming epic Ramayana. While the character is one of the most powerful and complex figures in Indian mythology, Yash said the biggest challenge was that audiences already have a strong image of Ravana in their minds.
Unlike a fictional character created for a new story, Ravana comes with centuries of interpretations, performances, and beliefs attached to him. For an actor, Yash explained, that creates additional pressure because viewers already have expectations about how the character should look, behave, and be portrayed.
Speaking about the challenge, Yash said, "You have your imagination and you have seen so many people have depicted this in many ways. So what do you bring in as an actor and what is your understanding of that character was challenging and I think my director and the writers have kind of given me that space so I could play this character in a very different way and it was very challenging and exciting as well."
Yash said he approached the role by focusing on understanding Ravana’s mindset rather than simply presenting him as a traditional villain. For him, the character’s motivations, ambition, and inability to control his own power make Ravana an interesting figure.
If you know the characters, and everybody's aware of it, then it becomes a very challenging part. Because if it's a new film, you're telling a new story, whatever you do, that will become the character. But if people already have some imagination about it, and so many people have played it in different ways, then it's an extra pressure for an actor. But I've stuck to very simple basics to understand what made him do such kind of things. So, the intent was more important. I've gone behind that, and I think I've kind of given a different take on it. Hopefully, people will like it."
Yash also explained why Ravana remains such a fascinating part of Ramayana. According to him, the contrast between Lord Rama and Ravana creates the foundation of the story.
"The way both the characters are constructed or the way the story entails is Rama, Lord Rama is somebody who is born as a king. But he goes into situations where he has to lose everything and then he has to regain all the powers with his behaviour or the kind of action he takes.
But Ravana starts with nothing. He becomes powerful. And then sometimes, like they say, when you fight a demon, you end up becoming a bigger one. Like, it's you have to be very careful with it. So, Ravana is somebody who is actually very talented. He's mastered many arts, but eventually, he ends up becoming a person who can't control his power. So, that is where the story is interesting, and I think the contrast is very interesting in the story."
Yash added that his connection with the epic goes back to childhood, recalling how his grandfather introduced him to the story.
"That's the exciting part, because as a kid, we have all heard this story. Probably the first story I've heard as a kid. My grandfather used to tell me these stories," he said.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Yash as Ravana. The two-part saga also features Sunny Deol as Hanuman, along with an ensemble cast. Ramayana Part 1 is scheduled to release during Diwali 2026, with the second part arriving in Diwali 2027.
