Siddharth Kumar Tewary-created Shrimad Ramayan went on air on Sony Entertainment Television on January 1, 2024. Sujay Reu plays the role of Ram whereas Prachi Bansal is Sita. Nikitin Dheer has been introduced as Ravan. As the first two episodes of the show received a thumbs-up from the audience, PeepingMoon spoke to Nikitin exclusively.

In the interview, Nikitin clarified that Shrimad Ramayan isn't a modern adaptation of the Hindu epic. "Shrimad Ramayan isn't a modern version of Ramayan. There's no point in repeating what directors did in the past but what's the purpose if we change the context of Ramayan? It is the same Ramayan that Indians have known. We've included stories that our dadi-nani and pandits in temples know but were never brought to the screen We're incorporating lesser-known stories with the popular ones. There have been advancements in technology too and that make our spectrum broader. Shrimad Ramayan will be available on SonyLIV forever, hence it has been made for long-term viewership," he said.

He further added, "Ramayan is Ramayan irrespective of who makes it. The iconic version made by Ramanand Sagar was based on Tulsidas's narration whereas our show is from Valmiki's perspective. The essence of Ramayan is the same but since it is 2024, we need to understand the sensibilities of the audience too."

Talking about playing Ravan in Shrimad Ramayan, Nikitin shared, "Over the years, I've read a lot on Ravan. When the character was offered to me, I was very excited. Thanks to my habit of reading, I learnt a lot about Ravan. Also, the writers have done a great job and their research helped me prepare for the part. They had an answer to every question of mine. This made my job easier."

Interestingly, Shrimad Ramayan launched in the same month as Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha. The Pran Pratishtha ceremony is scheduled to take place on January 22, 2024. Reacting to the coincidence, Nikitin said the team is blessed and fortunate. He reacted, "We announced the date of Shrimad Ramayan and then the Pran Pratishtha date was declared. We're fortunate and every Indian has been waiting for this day. It's a great thing. Our show is a small part of this great event. A part of the team did visit the Ram Janmabhoomi site, Kanak Bhavan and Hanuman Garhi. The rest of us plan to offer our prayers at the temple soon."