When the atrocities of the demons increased on Earth, Lord Vishnu took an avatar on Earth and came to be known as Lord Ram. When the dignity of Treta Yuga and modern technology collide on screen, 'Ramayanam' is born. From the era of Ramanand Sagar till today, this epic has been seen in many forms, but the Hollywood-level canvas on which Nitesh Tiwari and Namit Malhotra have mounted it is enough to dazzle the eyes. Indian cinema's biggest and grandest film Ramayana has arrived in theatres.

What is the story of Ramayana?

In the history of Indian cinema, the great saga of Ramayana has been brought to the screen many times, but director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra's 'Ramayana', with the grandeur, technical expertise and emotional depth with which it has come forward, makes it the biggest cinematic experience of today's era. This film shows that one should know how to present cinema with grandeur.
The story of Ramayana begins with the battle between devas and asuras. After this, it is shown how the devas win over Lanka and all this happens because of Devraj Indra. Now, after victory over Lanka, Ravana's mother Kaikesi reminds her son that the purpose of his life is to conquer Lanka and become the lord of the three worlds.
Ravana also obeys his mother and does severe penance, finally getting the boon of immortality from Lord Brahma and then he enters the same Lanka and kills everyone one by one and makes Kubera's Lanka his own. On the other side, in Ayodhya, a yagya takes place at the house of King Dasharatha, and then Ram, Bharat, Lakshman and Shatrughna are born. After this, Guru Vishwamitra comes to King Dasharatha and asks for the brave warrior Ram. Whenever Vishwamitra used to perform yagya and rituals, demons like Tadka and Subahu used to obstruct them and destroy the sacred yagya by throwing flesh and bones.
These events are followed by Lord Ram killing the demons, his wedding to Mata Sita and exile from Ayodhya. In the film, the war between Ravana and Shurpanakha's husband, Vidyut Jeev, is also shown; following this, it is shown how Shurpanakha gets infatuated with Lord Ram, the proposal of marriage to Ram and how Lakshman cuts off Shurpanakha's nose.

How is the direction of the film?

Everyone is aware of the original story of the Ramayana, so the biggest challenge before Nitesh Tiwari was to present it with a new visual treatment and emotional connect. He has done his job very well with an amazing grip in direction. He has struck an excellent balance between mythological dignity and today's state-of-the-art VFX and CGI.
From the royal grandeur of Ayodhya to the rugged forests and the golden walls of Lanka, the director's vision is clearly visible in every single frame. He has done the work of engaging the audience as a director. The biggest specialty of Ramayana is its visuals along with its story, which makes this film even grander.

How is the acting of the stars?

All the characters seen in the film have acted brilliantly. As Lord Ram, Ranbir Kapoor's calm aura, restraint, and gentleness of eyes directly touch the heart. With compassion on his face and the radiance of a Kshatriya in the battlefield, Ranbir has played both these emotions with complete ease. Those who were perhaps trolling Ranbir, after watching Ramayanam, will definitely change their views. However, Yash as Ravana has completely overshadowed Ranbir.
If anyone steals the entire show as soon as he comes on screen in the film, it is Yash. The ego, tremendous scholarship, and valour of Ravana, Yash has played it in such a commanding style that it gives goosebumps. His screen presence is so heavy that his dominance is visible in every scene.
On top of that, Sharad Kelkar's voice makes every scene of Ravana memorable, because Sharad has given voice to the character of Ravana in Hindi. Ravana's Dashanan avatar scene will force you to whistle. Sai Pallavi's simplicity and naturalness as Mother Sita mesmerise. Without any showy loudness, only with her expressions and eyes, she has embodied the purity and sacrifice of that era.
Be it her valiant style in the battlefield or in emotional scenes, Sai has held the character firmly. Ravie Dubey has captured Lakshman's playful, devoted, and fierce nature very well. Brotherly love and dutifulness shine in his acting. In many places his playful dialogues make some scenes fun. While Rakul Preet Singh has also looked great in the role of Shurpanakha, her beauty has made that character even better. Rakul's character has been given good space and in jewellery-clad princess form, she has looked very beautiful.
Arun Govil has done good work in the role of King Dasharatha, while Lara Dutta has also played the character of Kaikeyi very well. Apart from this, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari and Anjikya Deo in the role of Vishwamitra have done good work. However, the biggest emotional surprise of the film is Anupam Kher. As Jatayu, his dedication and pain come alive on screen.

How are the visuals of the film?

The background score and action are the strongest pillars of the film. Apart from this, the action shown in the film is also amazing. The visuals do not look artificial anywhere. The war scenes are of Hollywood level, in which the use of strategy, weapons and chariots looks very realistic. The background score of the film takes the mood of the scene many times higher.
In calm scenes, it creates devotion and stillness, while during war and confrontation it feels even more exciting. Some scenes of the film have seemed very amazing. The forest scenes are good, while the Jatayu sequence and the war in the air make it powerful. The grandeur of Lanka and Ayodhya looks visually stunning.

Where did it fall short?

Because the film has to be finished in 3 hours, it is also important to understand that the makers had to increase the pace of the movie. In an attempt to balance the pace and length of the film, some important episodes have been wrapped up very briefly. If the detailed background of Janakpur and very emotional episodes like Kevat dialogue had got a little more screen time, this experience could have been even better. Apart from this, the scenes between Mother Kaushalya and Ram have not been shown much.
In many places, its music also falls a little short. When legends like Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman have come together, expectations increase a little more, but the music does not have much impact Apart from this, some of the supporting characters did not even get a chance to show their full shine, their emotions did not reach the people completely.

Should you watch the film or not?

We have seen Ramanand Sagar's Ramayana in many episodes, which is a cult classic. Namit Malhotra and Nitesh Tiwari, as producer-director, have tried to show that story in 3 hours for now. Obviously, this hard work pays off, and we should not forget that every effort has been made to make the film grand.
'Ramayana' is not just a mythological film, but a visual epic to be experienced on the big screen. It is a powerful confluence of modern technology and Indian faith, which should be watched only on the big screen of the theatre.
Review by: Ankit Tomar
Rating: 4/5