Ranbir Kapoor and Yash's upcoming Ramayana has become one of the most talked-about films in Bollywood. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the ambitious mythological epic is being planned on a massive scale and will reportedly be released in two parts. But long before Ranbir Kapoor was cast as Lord Ram, another major Bollywood star was preparing to take on the iconic role.

Ajay Devgn was once set to play Lord Ram in a much-anticipated Ramayana planned by filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi. The project reportedly had an estimated budget of around ₹100 crore, which was considered enormous at the time. Despite an impressive cast and ambitious plans, the film was eventually shelved and never made it to theatres.

Ajay Devgn Was Santoshi's Choice for Lord Ram

Rajkumar Santoshi had once revealed details about his ambitious Ramayana project in an interview. According to him, Ajay Devgn had been finalised to portray Lord Ram, while Riteish Deshmukh was chosen to play Lakshman.

For the role of Ravana, Santoshi had selected Prakash Raj. The filmmaker had reportedly spent considerable time thinking about the casting before deciding on the acclaimed actor.

Santoshi also planned to bring several South Indian actors into the project, particularly for the roles of Ravana's family. This indicated that the filmmaker wanted the film to have a large-scale and pan-Indian appeal.

A ₹100 Crore Project That Never Took Off

At the time, a reported budget of around ₹100 crore made Santoshi's Ramayana an exceptionally ambitious Bollywood project. The film generated considerable interest because of its subject, star cast and scale.

However, despite the plans and casting decisions, the project failed to move forward. The reasons surrounding its shelving prevented the film from eventually reaching the big screen.

As a result, audiences never got to see Ajay Devgn portray Lord Ram, Riteish Deshmukh as Lakshman or Prakash Raj as Ravana.

Salman Khan Also Had a ‘Ramayana’ Plan

Interestingly, Santoshi's project wasn't the only major Bollywood attempt at making a large-scale Ramayana that failed to materialise.

Sohail Khan had also planned a Ramayana in which his brother Salman Khan was reportedly set to play Lord Ram, while Sonali Bendre was associated with the role of Sita. That project too was eventually shelved.

This makes the current Ramayana starring Ranbir Kapoor even more significant, as Bollywood has been trying to bring a large-scale modern adaptation of the epic to the screen for years.

Ranbir Kapoor Now Takes on the Iconic Role

The latest Ramayana is being directed by Nitesh Tiwari and is being made as a two-part cinematic spectacle. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Ram, while Sai Pallavi portrays Sita and Yash takes on the role of Ravana.

The cast also includes Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi and Kunal Kapoor are also part of the ensemble.

With an enormous reported production scale and a star-studded cast, the new Ramayana is attempting something that several filmmakers before it could not achieve.

The question now is whether Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana will finally succeed in bringing the ambitious Bollywood dream of a grand theatrical adaptation of the epic to life — a dream that once had Ajay Devgn at its centre.