Lara Dutta has shared an emotional note about playing Queen Kaikeyi in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1, calling her character “one of history’s most misunderstood women” as the film arrived in theatres on Thursday, 5 November 2026. The actor posted the note on Instagram alongside stills from the film, expressing gratitude for the chance to bring Kaikeyi’s humanity to the screen, according to Cinema Express and IANS.
“Her angst, her vulnerabilities, her guilt”
“What an extraordinary privilege to portray a mother who has perhaps been one of the most misunderstood women in history. To be entrusted with the responsibility of bringing alive her humanity… her angst, her vulnerabilities, her guilt and her remorse,” Dutta wrote, according to Cinema Express. She urged audiences to look beyond centuries-old perceptions of the character, whose decisions change the course of the epic. In the Ramayana, Kaikeyi asks King Dasharatha to fulfil two boons: appoint her son Bharata as king of Ayodhya and send Rama into exile for 14 years.
A father she wishes could see it
Dutta also spoke about missing her father, saying she wished he were alive to see her portrayal. “I miss my father tremendously today and wish he was here with me to see this,” she said, according to IANS. She thanked producer Namit Malhotra and director Nitesh Tiwari for trusting her with the role. Ramayana: Part 1, reportedly made on a budget of approximately ₹4,000 crore, is among the most expensive film productions in the world.
A film years in the making
The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Raavan, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshmana. It released in India on 5 November, with its international release across 5–6 November, including 6 November in the United States. Dutta’s note, posted on release day, set the tone for a film that has been one of the most anticipated releases of the year.
