Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama is updated anime film that is decent look at epic

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A visual from Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama. Photo: Spice PR

This animation film is an updated version, in audio-visual terms, of an Indo-Japanese production that was directed by Japanese director Yugo Sako in 1993. It was shown then at the International Film Festival of India, only in 1997 in Japan (!) and finally in India this week to probably mark one year of the opening of the Ayodhya Temple. There are many reasons, mostly governmental or political, for all this mess, which includes the Ayodhya dispute.

At 135 minutes, the film can be a delight for children but I wish the story was told in a more riveting manner for Indians (who are familiar with the story) and not just for international viewers. There are some new insights here, and new additions to conventional narrations of the epic, and the film narrates the entire popular epic as we know it, but concentrates for long on the final battle between Lord Ram and his army and Raavan.

The upgradation (including restoration and remastering) is done well and Excel Entertainment and Geek Pictures have come in to present the film. The dubbing artistes have changed, so have some of the voices for the songs, which are composed by the late Vanraj Bhatia.

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I watched the Hindi version, and this time, V. Vijayendra Prasad (for the second time in two weeks after Emergency) has also come in, billed as a “Creative Director”. The late Padma Shri honoree Ram Mohan, an Indian animator, title designer and design educator, also known as father of Indian Animation, co-directed this film with Koichi Sasaki from Japan. Needless to add, the animation is world-class, and can help grab eyeballs in places where the epic is as yet unknown to the people residing in those countries.

All in all, but for certain minor slips and an outdated feel in parts (remember that the film, even if partly Japanese, is over three decades old), the film remains a decent narration of India’s priceless heritage, penned by sage Valmiki.

Narrated by Dishi Duggal, the voiceovers are by Yudhvir Dahiya (Ram), Sonal Kaushal (Sita), Upalaksh Kochhr (Lakshman), Rajesh Jolly (Raavan) and Archit Maurya (Hanuman).

This is decent entertainment for those who cannot get enough of the epic, or want to introduce a condensed pictorial version of the saga to kids and grandchildren.

Rating: ***

Excel Entertainment & Geek Pictures present Nippon Ramayana Film Company’s Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama  Producers: Atsushi Matsuo, Kenji Yoshii & Yugo Sako  Directed by: Yugo Sako, Koichi Sasaki & Ram Mohan  Written by: Narendra Sharma, Ram Mohan, Rani Burra, Yugo Sako, Hiroshi Onogi, Koichi Sasaki Music: Vanraj Bhatia