Accompanying the announcement, the makers unveiled a character poster titled Jatayu: The Wings of Dharma. The visual offers a close-up of Jatayu’s piercing gaze set above a wide shot of the creature soaring across the skies with outspread wings, flanked by a flock in flight.
"He Fought Not for Victory, But for What Was Right"
Sharing the visual across digital platforms, the makers paid tribute to the character’s sacrificial role in confronting Ravana during Mata Sita's abduction:
“When evil took flight, courage rose to meet it. He fought not for victory, but for what was right. Jatayu. The Wings of Dharma. Anupam Kher as Jatayu in Ramayana.”
In the narrative of the Ramayana, Jatayu represents the pinnacle of selfless devotion (dharma)—an aging king of birds who intercedes to intercept Ravana’s airborne chariot (Pushpaka Vimana) despite knowing he cannot overpower the ten-headed demon king, holding on to his final breath solely to deliver critical intelligence to Lord Ram and Lakshman.
Bringing Gravitas to Voice: Anupam Kher’s Casting
The casting of Anupam Kher adds vocal weight to the photorealistic CGI character crafted by DNEG:
Commanding Tone: With decades of experience across classical theater, international cinema, and intense voice modulation, Kher’s delivery is designed to infuse Jatayu’s final moments with tragic dignity, vulnerability, and spiritual reverence.
Expanding Ensemble: Kher joins an ensemble that features Ranbir Kapoor (Lord Ram), Sai Pallavi (Sita), Rocking Star Yash (Ravana), Sunny Deol (Lord Hanuman), Ravie Dubey (Lakshman), Arun Govil (King Dasharatha), Lara Dutta (Kaikeyi), Rakul Preet Singh (Shurpanakha), and Vivek Oberoi (Vidyutjihva).
Trade Take:
Revealing Jatayu as a standalone heroic figure highlights Nitesh Tiwari’s intent to give mythological secondary characters full cinematic weight rather than reducing them to brief digital cameos. Giving Anupam Kher's voice to an entirely CGI creature signals that the emotional stakes of the Dandakaranya sequence will rely heavily on vocal performance, setting a promising tone ahead of ticket windows opening on Dussehra.
