Kunal Kapoor dedicates his costume drama stint in Tenali Rama to his father
Kunal Karan Kapoor as Lakshmanappa Swaminarayana Bhattaru
He never takes decisions lightly — there’s often a great deal of thought behind them. Kunal Karan Kapoor, who shot to fame with Left Right Left (2006) and followed it up with Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha (2012), Doli Armaano Ki (2015), Ziddi Dil Maane Na (2021), and Udaariyaan (2024), with long gaps in between, is the latest entrant in the show Tenali Rama. After featuring in several fiction shows, this marks his foray into a period costume drama. “I have always been skeptical about doing a costume drama,” confesses the actor — not because he finds them over-the-top, but because he feared he wouldn’t be able to do justice to the role of army doctor-turned-detective Lakshmanappa Swaminarayana Bhattaru. While he enjoys a good challenge, this show holds special meaning for him. “My dad used to watch the show, and this one is for him.”
Kapoor says he arrived on set without any expectations, but soon “fell in love with the whole process.” “I honestly had no idea how a costume drama is shot, so I am going with the flow,” says the actor, who has been filming for the past eight days. “It takes a considerable amount of time [to get ready] compared to my other shows. While normally I’d be ready in five to 10 minutes, here, it takes close to an hour because of the costume, make-up, teeka, hair, and the turban,” explains Kapoor, who is thoroughly enjoying the cheerful spirit of the cast, regardless of the workload. “It feels like I’ve known them for years — especially Krishna Bharadwaj [who plays Tenali Rama].”
Reminiscing about the 1990s, when he was an eight-year-old fan of Tenali Rama, Kapoor shares, “Tenali Rama used to be one of those few shows which was telecast in colour at that time. It has a universal appeal because the stories are timeless. It was a huge hit back then. The fact that I am playing a role adjacent to Tenali is an honour — to be in that costume, say those lines, and be part of this rich cultural heritage.”
Other representations of Tenali Rama
1956: Tenali Ramakrishna starring A Nageswara Rao (Telugu film).
1956: Tenali Raman starring Sivaji Ganesan (Tamil film).
1982: Hasyaratna Ramakrishna starring Anant Nag (Kannada film).
1990: Tenali Rama aired on Doordarshan (TV show).
2003: The Adventures of Tenali Raman was produced by Cartoon Network (Animated series).
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