Jaideep Ahlawat, the guy who blew us away in Paatal Lok, was this close to playing Vibhishan in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, the big-budget epic starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama. But, plot twist—he had to pass because his dates clashed with KGF superstar Yash, who’s rocking the role of Ravana. In a super chill chat with The Lallantop (via The Indian Express), Ahlawat spilled the beans on why he couldn’t join the mythological extravaganza, and honestly, his vibe about it is pure gold.
So, here’s the deal: Ahlawat was tapped to play Vibhishan, Ravana’s good-guy brother, in Ramayana, a two-part movie dropping in 2026 and 2027. Since Vibhishan and Ravana share some heavy scenes, the team needed both actors to be free at the same time. Spoiler: that didn’t happen. “Offer hua tha. Par timing match nahi ho rahi thi,” Ahlawat said, throwing in a cheeky, “I’m sure Ravana ki dates mujh se zyada important hogi” (Ravana’s dates were probably more important than mine). Gotta love the guy’s humor—basically admitting Yash’s Ravana schedule was the VIP here. “Unko ek particular timing chahiye tha kyunki Vibhishan ke saath Ravana ka hona zaroori hain… do actors ke dates match karne the,” he added (They needed specific timing since Vibhishan’s scenes need Ravana… both actors’ dates had to line up).
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari (yep, the Dangal dude), Ramayana is shaping up to be a massive deal. Ranbir’s playing Rama, Sai Pallavi’s Sita, and Yash is bringing the heat as Ravana. Add Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha, and Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, and you’ve got a cast that’s straight-up fire. With Namit Malhotra’s DNEG handling the VFX, it’s aiming to be a visual feast. Part 1’s hitting theaters for Diwali 2026, with Part 2 in 2027. Some folks, like Sai Pallavi and Yash, are already filming, while Sunny Deol’s still waiting in the wings.
Ahlawat bowing out kinda stings. The guy’s a beast at playing layered characters—think Raazi or Paatal Lok—and he would’ve nailed Vibhishan, who’s all about wrestling with loyalty and doing the right thing. Fans were hyped to see him in this epic, but the scheduling gods said nope. Fun fact: Vijay Sethupathi was also in the running for Vibhishan back in April 2025, but that fell through too. So, who’s gonna grab this role? The jury’s still out, and it’s keeping everyone guessing.
But don’t feel too bad for Ahlawat—he’s got plenty cooking. Fresh off Paatal Lok Season 2, he’s diving into Jewel Thief, a slick heist movie with Saif Ali Khan and Nikita Dutta, hitting Netflix on April 25, 2025. Plus, he’s teaming up with Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan, and Abhay Varma in King. He even shared a cute story about SRK personally convincing him for the role, saying, “Khan saab, being Khan saab, was like, ‘I’ll talk to him.’” Who says no to SRK, right?
Ahlawat’s exit from Ramayana is a reminder that even blockbuster projects hit logistical snags. His chill take—“Ravana’s dates matter more”—is classic Jaideep, shrugging it off with a smile. As Ramayana rolls on, the hype around Ranbir, Sai Pallavi, and Yash is still sky-high. We’re all dying to know who’ll step into Vibhishan’s shoes, but one thing’s for sure: this epic’s gonna be a wild ride.
Image Credit: Free Press Journal