Can't fathom Urmila's sacrifice: Sonia Balani on playing Lakshman's wife in Ramayana

Actor Sonia Balani has opened up about portraying Urmila in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana. She said the character's quiet sacrifice remains beyond her imagination.

In Short

• She initially auditioned for Soorpanakha before being cast within a day
• Sai Pallavi's warmth and guidance gave her an elder-sisterly presence
• Director Nitesh Tiwari's calm approach shaped an unusually organised set

There are characters in the Ramayana whose sacrifices have been celebrated for generations, and then there is Urmila, who quietly made one of the biggest sacrifices of them all. While her husband, Lakshman, accompanied Lord Rama and Goddess Sita into exile, Urmila stayed back, accepting a separation that is difficult to even imagine today. It is this lesser-explored side of the epic that actor Sonia Balani found herself drawn to while preparing to play the character in Nitesh Tiwari's much-awaited Ramayana.

Interestingly, Urmila wasn't the character Sonia had initially set her heart on. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Sonia shared how she had auditioned for Soorpanakha, finding her a more interesting character. However, fate had other plans, and she was finalised to play Urmila within a day. "As an actor, I have always felt there's so much you can do with grey characters. You can play around with your eyes, expressions and explore so much. But when I started preparing for Urmila, I was really happy, and I genuinely feel fortunate that I got to essay her on screen," she said.

For Sonia, understanding Urmila was perhaps the most interesting part of her preparation. She admits that she didn't know much about the character initially, but her willingness to let Lakshman leave her behind to accompany Ram and Sita is something she is still trying to fathom.

"It's one of the biggest sacrifices that we have known about. Being a woman of today's generation, it's beyond my imagination. I am yet to fathom how she found that strength. I just can't imagine anyone making such a big sacrifice, that too, right after getting married," the actor said.

While playing Urmila came with its own discoveries, the opportunity to work with Nitesh Tiwari was equally exciting for Sonia. Calling him one of her favourite directors, she says she often used the breaks between shots to pick his brain. With Sonia currently writing a short film that she plans to direct next month, their conversations also went beyond Ramayana.

She also found a lovely companion in Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita. Having shared several scenes with her, Sonia says Pallavi's warmth made her feel as though she had an elder sister around. "She would guide all of us. I think she already has a very Sita-like vibe. She's very grounded, calm, sweet and sisterly. Maybe that's why she always seemed like an elder sister to me throughout," Sonia said with a smile.

A production of this scale usually comes with its share of madness, but Sonia says Ramayana was quite the opposite. Calling it the most organised set she has worked on, the actor recalls how the calm atmosphere helped her slip into the world of the epic.

"There was no chaos at all. Usually, there are so many things happening simultaneously, especially on TV sets. Hair, makeup, lights and spots. But here, everything was so well-planned that there was a sense of calm on set. Maybe because of the costumes, we felt transported to that era. Nitesh sir is also so calm, and that translated to every single person on set," she said.

Interestingly, Sonia says she was never particularly worried about how much screen time Urmila would get or whether her character would stand out in a film featuring some of the biggest names in the industry. For her, the opportunity to work with Tiwari and be part of an epic like Ramayana was reason enough.

Playing Urmila also left Sonia with a meaningful takeaway. The actor says she was struck by how the character made sacrifices without seeking recognition or wanting to be celebrated for them.

"I feel she made every sacrifice with a smile on her face, and she never wanted to be the main character in her own story. That's really my takeaway. Sometimes, it's okay to be part of something big and be happy with what you have done. You have done it with your best intentions and the best energy. Sometimes, it's about greater things that we can't see right in the moment," she said.

While playing a character from an epic meant wearing elaborate costumes and jewellery, Sonia says she enjoyed the transformation more than she had anticipated. Having spent years on television, she was initially apprehensive about wearing heavy lehengas for long hours. The actor also spoke about stepping away from television to explore different characters and roles.

Ramayana: Rise of a Legend stars Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash and Ravie Dubey, among others. It released in theatres on November 5.

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