For an epic built around a king and his greatest adversary, the character drawing the most curiosity ahead of Ramayana ’s r elease may be the one who sets the whole conflict in motion. Rakul Preet Singh, who plays Surpanakha in Nitesh Tiwari’s mammoth adaptation, says that is precisely what drew her to the part.

Speaking to news agency PTI, the actor said two things excited her about the project. The first was its ambition: she sees the film as carrying India’s history and storytelling to the world on a scale no Indian production has attempted before. The second was the character herself.

“Surpanakha is a very misunderstood and layered character,” Rakul said, pointing out that her actions are what ultimately trigger the war at the heart of the epic. Playing a woman with so many shades, she added, has been a genuinely interesting challenge.

She had touched on the same idea earlier on X, where she reshared a letter from a fan along with a personal note.…