Yash Says His Son Called Him a "Bad Man" on Learning He Plays Ravana in Ramayana

What happened

Yash, who plays Ravana in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, has described how his young son reacted when he found out about the role. According to India TV, which cited the news agency IANS, his son Yatharv asked him, "You are Ravana?" and then said, "No, you are a bad man. How can you do this?"

Yash said his son also wanted to know whether his character dies or loses at the end, Dainik Bhaskar reported. The quotes were reported in Hindi-language coverage and are given here in English translation.

How Yash explained it

Yash said he used the moment to explain the difference between an actor and the character he plays. According to the reports, he told his son that Lord Ram is the ideal to follow, and that while Yatharv could cheer for his father as an actor, he should not look up to the character of Ravana.

Yash shared the story while promoting the film, which has completed its certification ahead of release. Searches for his name then rose in India, according to Google Trends.

Why people are searching

• Release week. Ramayana: Part One is due in cinemas on 5 November. Ranbir Kapoor plays Ram and Sai Pallavi plays Sita.
• A rare personal story. Yash seldom talks publicly about his children, so the anecdote drew wide attention.
• His dual role. Yash is both an actor and a co-producer on the film. His company, Monster Mind Creations, is producing it with Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios.

From television to Ravana

Yash was born Naveen Kumar Gowda on 8 January 1986 in Hassan district, Karnataka, BBC Hindi reported. His father worked as a bus driver with the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation. He began his career on television with the serial Nanda Gokula and made his film debut with Jambada Hudugi in 2007. His first major hit came the following year with Moggina Manasu.

The two KGF films, released in 2018 and 2022, brought him a national audience well beyond the Kannada film industry. In Ramayana he takes on Ravana, one of the best-known antagonists in Indian storytelling, opposite Ranbir Kapoor's Ram in a story that almost every Indian viewer already knows.

What comes next

Ramayana: Part One opens on 5 November, with the second part to follow. Promotional interviews with the cast are expected to continue through release week, and early audience reaction to Yash's portrayal will be closely watched.