Rakul Preet Singh plays Surpanakha in Ramayana

Actress Rakul Preet Singh has said that her portrayal of Surpanakha in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana will present a side of the character that audiences may not have seen before, describing her as one of the most misunderstood and layered figures in the epic.

Speaking to PTI, Rakul said two things drew her to the role. The first was the scale of the project itself and what it represents for Indian storytelling on a global stage. “What was so exciting were a couple of things,” she said. “First, it is India’s representation to the world. Our history, our truth represented in the world’s first ever global film. Secondly, Surpanakha is a very misunderstood and layered character. She was the reason why the war takes place in the first place. So it has been really interesting to play someone with multiple shades.”

The description of Surpanakha as the reason the war happens is factually rooted in the epic’s narrative.…