Ranbir as Rama, Alia as 'Alpha' Sita: Did star couple just amp the power quotient?
On-screen names of stars add to image. Think Big B's Vijay or SRK's Rahul. Will playing Rama and Sita boost Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt's prospects as a Bollywood duo?
We've been hyped for months now about Ramayana, where Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama will slay Raavana. But much before the Bollywood mega tentpole arrives in two parts over Diwalis this year and the next, Ranbir's significant other Alia Bhatt will do the needful, flaunting her Raavana-vadh skills in Alpha, come July 3.
Not literally, of course – there is no actual Raavana in the film and Alpha is no mythological drama. But the trailer of the spy thriller does reveal Alia's character is called Sita and that she's kidnapped by the villain (Bobby Deol, impressively menacing in an understated way). And in case you miss the point, Alia's voiceover spells it out as the camera trains on Bobby: "Ek raakshas tha, ghamand uska shastra tha (there was once a demon, his weapon was arrogance)." She then tells you the demon kidnapped a princess and, in a tone that means business, declares the intent of the film.
"Itihaas jaanta hai yeh kahaani kaise khatm hui. Par iss baar Sita khud Lanka jalaane aayi hai."
History knows how this story ended. This time, though, Sita is here to burn down Lanka by herself.
GEN Z BOLLYWOOD'S RAMA AND SITA
It's a challenge she's tossed at whatever upgraded version of Raavana that Bobby's playing. Alia Bhatt just declared the new-age Sita can take on Raavana on her own – which is a good thing.
It's also a pitch at one level. Ranbir and Alia can now be officially pitched as Gen Z Bollywood's Rama and Sita. That's a sort of branding no other star couple thought of – which is a smart thing.
For Alia, being Sita isn't new. Her character in SS Rajamouli's 2022 box-office scorcher RRR was called Sita, and the likeness she bore with Sita of Ramayana the epic went beyond just the name. As in the epic, her character is separated from her partner for years, and she waits patiently for his return. Then there is the Hanuman connection. JR NTR as Bheem bears a direct parallel to Hanuman. He plays a role in uniting Ram and Sita in the film.
RRR's Sita was very much in sync with what the epic said. In Alpha, Alia looks set to shake up a few things with a new-age spin. Her Sita doesn't bank on Rama to raze Raavana's Lanka and rescue her, she has averred in the trailer. For the sake of their spy universe, YRF must hope her blows land hard enough at the ticket windows.
NAMES ON SCREEN ADD TO IMAGE
Strictly looking at the box office, that must also be on Ranbir Kapoor's mind. He'll carry more than just his bow and quiver of arrows on his shoulders – the cumulative budget of the two Ramayana films is rumoured to touch Rs 5000 crore. There is a powerhouse prop cast to support his box office charge, of course (Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Yash as Raavana sure adds to the buzz).
Names of protagonists on screen add to the image – think Amitabh Bachchan's Vijay, Shah Rukh Khan's Rahul or Salman Khan's Prem. Ram-Sita could just be the boost Ranbir and Alia needed as a duo, an idea that could work wonders for the Bollywood power couple.
Someone ask the filmi Raavana, though. The guy is up for death twice on screen this year. Hubby and biwi are both baying for his blood.
We've been hyped for months now about Ramayana, where Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama will slay Raavana. But much before the Bollywood mega tentpole arrives in two parts over Diwalis this year and the next, Ranbir's significant other Alia Bhatt will do the needful, flaunting her Raavana-vadh skills in Alpha, come July 3.
Not literally, of course – there is no actual Raavana in the film and Alpha is no mythological drama. But the trailer of the spy thriller does reveal Alia's character is called Sita and that she's kidnapped by the villain (Bobby Deol, impressively menacing in an understated way). And in case you miss the point, Alia's voiceover spells it out as the camera trains on Bobby: "Ek raakshas tha, ghamand uska shastra tha (there was once a demon, his weapon was arrogance)." She then tells you the demon kidnapped a princess and, in a tone that means business, declares the intent of the film.
"Itihaas jaanta hai yeh kahaani kaise khatm hui. Par iss baar Sita khud Lanka jalaane aayi hai."
History knows how this story ended. This time, though, Sita is here to burn down Lanka by herself.
GEN Z BOLLYWOOD'S RAMA AND SITA
It's a challenge she's tossed at whatever upgraded version of Raavana that Bobby's playing. Alia Bhatt just declared the new-age Sita can take on Raavana on her own – which is a good thing.
It's also a pitch at one level. Ranbir and Alia can now be officially pitched as Gen Z Bollywood's Rama and Sita. That's a sort of branding no other star couple thought of – which is a smart thing.
For Alia, being Sita isn't new. Her character in SS Rajamouli's 2022 box-office scorcher RRR was called Sita, and the likeness she bore with Sita of Ramayana the epic went beyond just the name. As in the epic, her character is separated from her partner for years, and she waits patiently for his return. Then there is the Hanuman connection. JR NTR as Bheem bears a direct parallel to Hanuman. He plays a role in uniting Ram and Sita in the film.
RRR's Sita was very much in sync with what the epic said. In Alpha, Alia looks set to shake up a few things with a new-age spin. Her Sita doesn't bank on Rama to raze Raavana's Lanka and rescue her, she has averred in the trailer. For the sake of their spy universe, YRF must hope her blows land hard enough at the ticket windows.
NAMES ON SCREEN ADD TO IMAGE
Strictly looking at the box office, that must also be on Ranbir Kapoor's mind. He'll carry more than just his bow and quiver of arrows on his shoulders – the cumulative budget of the two Ramayana films is rumoured to touch Rs 5000 crore. There is a powerhouse prop cast to support his box office charge, of course (Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Yash as Raavana sure adds to the buzz).
Names of protagonists on screen add to the image – think Amitabh Bachchan's Vijay, Shah Rukh Khan's Rahul or Salman Khan's Prem. Ram-Sita could just be the boost Ranbir and Alia needed as a duo, an idea that could work wonders for the Bollywood power couple.
Someone ask the filmi Raavana, though. The guy is up for death twice on screen this year. Hubby and biwi are both baying for his blood.
