Anupam Kher Reveals His Experience of Voicing Jatayu in Ramayana

More than a year ago, actor Anupam Kher was approached for an unusual voice-acting opportunity — to bring a fierce and powerful bird character to life.

The character was Jatayu, the majestic mythological bird who has emerged as one of the most striking characters in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana. Portrayed as a magnificent, feathered guardian with a massive beak and powerful talons, Jatayu plays a crucial role in the film. He is not only one of its unexpected heroes but also serves as the primary narrator, or sutradhar.

One of the film's most remarkable sequences features Jatayu confronting Ravana in a fierce battle. Despite putting up a brave fight, he eventually falls, making the sequence one of the film's most intense and emotionally powerful moments.

Jatayu's visual design, which reportedly took more than seven years to develop, has received widespread appreciation for its detail and cinematic execution. Created with the involvement of Oscar-winning visual effects studio DNEG, the character has impressed audiences with both its visual grandeur and emotional depth.

His final moments, particularly the scene in which he informs a distressed Ram (played by Ranbir Kapoor) about the crisis, have also struck an emotional chord with viewers.

performing plays based on the Ramayana.

Throughout his extensive career, Anupam Kher has been associated with radio plays and voice work for animated films, including Up and The Lion of Judah.

However, he describes the opportunity to lend his voice to Jatayu as a special honour. Having grown up watching traditional Ramleela performances and participating in theatrical productions based on the Ramayana, Kher says the role holds a personal and cultural significance for him.

How did Anupam Kher get the opportunity to voice Jatayu in Ramayana?

Anupam Kher revealed that he was approached by Namit Malhotra around April or May last year to lend his voice to Jatayu in Ramayana. Initially, he was curious about the offer, especially amid earlier speculation that Amitabh Bachchan might voice the character.

Having read the Ramayana and participated in theatrical performances based on the epic during his childhood, Kher was keen to explore the opportunity. He was then shown a nine-minute preview of the film, which left him thoroughly impressed by its visuals and overall presentation.

Kher revealed that he was initially scheduled to begin dubbing on the same day. However, after watching the intense battle sequence between Jatayu and Ravana, he was left overwhelmed by what he saw and felt he was not ready to record his voice immediately. He therefore returned the following day to begin the dubbing process.

He further explained that while dubbing a similar sequence in a regular film would usually take him no more than 20 minutes, Jatayu's final moments required much greater effort. Despite having only 10 to 12 lines of dialogue as the character lies dying, Kher spent nearly five to six hours recording the sequence. He wanted to ensure that his voice captured the character's true emotions and inner essence.