Sai Pallavi slams ‘cooked up’ stories, but should actors be asked to make sacrifices for mythological roles? – Beyond Bollywood

As the Ramayan actor threatens legal action over erroneous reports of her quitting non-veg food for the Nitesh Tiwari film, Beyond Bollywood reached out to mythological content makers Prem Sagar, Abhimanyu Singh and Image Consultant Neha D Gupta to get their perspective on a sensitive matter.

By Mayur Lookhar

Food in mythology often symbolizes sustenance, transformation, and divine blessings, with sacred meals acting as a bridge between the mortal and the divine. God knows who came up with this, but mere mortal Sai Pallavi is courting controversy even after strongly dismissing erroneous reports of her quitting non-vegetarian food to play the role of Sita. The actor maintained that she has always been a vegetarian. The Ramayan actor has threatened legal action over any such false reports in the future.

“Most of the times, almost every-time, I choose to stay silent whenever I see baseless rumours/ fabricated lies/ incorrect statements being spread with or without motives (God knows) but it’s high-time that I react as it keeps happening consistently and doesn’t seem to cease; especially around the time of my films’ releases/ announcements/ cherish-able moments of my career!

Next time I see any “reputed” page or media/ individual carrying a cooked-up crappy story in the name of news or gossip then you will hear from me legally! Period!”, the actor posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Pallavi has been cast as Sita in director Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayan trilogy, with Ranbir Kapoor portraying Lord Ram and K.G.F star Yash reportedly playing the antagonist Ravan. Pallavi is no stranger to controversy; not long ago, aggrieved netizens deemed her unfit to play Sita after her controversial comments on India-Pakistan politics and the Indian Army.

While Pallavi has dismissed false reports, the fresh controversy has provided more cannon fodder to aggrieved netizens, who have once again questioned Tiwari’s choice for the revered character, with some even demanding her removal.

Lead actor Ranbir Kapoor comes from a family who are heavy meat eaters. In the past, Kapoor has spoken about eating red meat (beef) too, which had resulted in him copping flak from traditional Hindus.  But late last year, reports emerged that as part of a spiritual transformation, Kapoor had quit meat, alcohol for Ramayan.

Pallavi has clarified that she has always been a vegetarian, this episode, however, raises a broader question: should artistes be expected to make sacrifices in their eating, drinking habits, or quit smoking when portraying revered and divine characters?

History is replete with tales of actors making sacrifices to play particular characters as part of method acting. Aamir Khan famously claimed to have quit non-vegetarian food for the biopic Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005).

Given the current social and political environment, an artist risks the ire of conservatives if they don’t change their food habits or quit smoking/alcohol while playing divine characters. While most citizens would echo this sentiment, we spoke to a few people best suited to comment on the matter.

Producer and director Prem Sagar, son of legendary filmmaker Ramanand Sagar, who made the epic Ramayan TV series (1987), has repeatedly revealed that his late father and the team did not serve non-veg food on set, and artistes refrained from consuming alcohol or smoking.

“Arun Govil, Deepika Chikhalia, Dara Singh, and I think even Sunil Lahri gave up non-veg food before the shoot. So, did I. I remember once, on the sets, Arun was backstage and took an odd smoke. At that moment, a Lightman gently reminded him, ‘Sir, you are playing Lord Ram and you are smoking.’ This hit Govil hard, and he instantly stopped smoking,” recalled Sagar.

The filmmaker and producer explained the rationale behind the decision. He said, “Meat is tamsik, so it creates dark feelings inside. Vegetables are Satvik, it creates pure feelings in a person.” However, Prem Sagar clarified that there was no official diktat from his father. Most actors abstained from non-vegetarian food, smoking, or drinking on set voluntarily, driven by their own will.

Similar sentiment was echoed by producer, creator Abhimanyu Singh, whose company Contiloe Films had produced the popular mythological show Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman.

“Quite frankly, it is a personal matter if someone chooses to follow such practices out of faith. Hinduism is a beautiful way of life, where nothing is compelled. Often, the actors themselves decide to align with the character’s spirit. As a production house, we don’t serve non-vegetarian food on such sets, but we never compel anyone to go vegetarian. It’s their personal choice, and we respect that,” said Singh.

The creator of Contiloe Films emphasized that when creating a show about Lord Ram, Lord Hanuman, or any gods or goddesses from Indian mythology, it is important to maintain a certain level of reverence on set.

In an age where one bad move can impact a person’s image, an artiste ought to be careful. We reached out to noted Image Consultant Neha D. Gupta, who offered a balanced perspective on the matter and whether eating meat will have any negative impact on an actor’s image.

Giving the benefit of the doubt to actors Gupta said, “Your professional and personal lives are separate. If you feel that your sentiments will be hurt and if you value your role to the extent that you believe non-veg consumption isn’t appropriate, that’s a very personal choice. But if an actor doesn’t hold such beliefs and continues to consume non-veg food, that too is a personal choice.”

The image consultant stressed that if the body craves non-veg food, and an actor is compelled to make a sacrifice, it could affect their ability to give their best performance. Quitting meat, especially for regular eaters, isn’t easy. Gupta believes it would be wrong to alter food habits solely for a particular role. She, however, felt that if it isn’t permitted on set, an artist shouldn’t eat meat or smoke.

The image consultant also pointed out that the artist would be at fault if they claimed to have quit meat but were then spotted consuming it. “Any actor could have easily lied and stayed silent, but she had the courage to tell the truth to the media,” added Gupta.

While respecting an individual’s choice, Gupta is also mindful of respecting religious sentiments.

Gupta says, “Actors who play these divine characters are viewed as gods in this country. If you want to fully immerse yourself in the character, perhaps for a short time, you could refrain from eating non-vegetarian food. There’s no harm in respecting the sentiments of people around you. Believing in yourself is one thing, but when others believe in you, that perception can become reality. It isn’t about just doing the part; it is also about feeling the part.”

The Mumbai-based image consultant believes that sometimes it’s not about what you believe, but what the country believes. If people perceive a deity in a certain way, the artist should be prepared to give the audience what they want.

“If an actress thinks she is Sita Mata, it doesn’t make her one. If the country thinks she is Sita Mata, then the belief becomes much stronger. So, what does she want? The country to believe in her or does she want to believe in just herself?” quipped Gupta.

Prem Sagar felt that if an actor continues eating non-veg food, it is his/her personal choice and doesn’t affect the character or the acting. The Sagar Films head honcho, however, quickly added, “In India, people have an image of an artist. One has to be careful about it. Certain roles carry a public image, and if possible, one should try to retain it. I wouldn’t appreciate my Ram smoking. Then he is not Ram. Look, it’s entirely up to you whether you take this role as a profession or a mission. Do you want to bring back the values of Sanatan Dharma, or do you want to do this as a profession?”

The faithful professionals have spoken, and in the end, it comes down to one’s choice. Ultimately, it is up to Sai Pallavi to decide what is best for her. One may not agree, but as citizens, we should respect one’s choice.