Filmfare’s Editor-in-Chief Jitesh Pillaai shares his take on Ramayana. While the film meanders at times, its sheer audacity of scale, compelling performances and visual grandeur make it a riveting retelling of the epic.
Read on…
Half an hour into Ramayan, you are spoon-fed information on Ravana, the man of arts and scholarship. You are drawn into the exhilarating spectacle of the making of a villain and a hero. Ravana’s mother, expertly played by Shobhana, eggs him on to take on the devas. And Ravana becomes master of all he surveys. The retelling of Valmiki’s Ramayan is not flawless, but it’s riveting.
The coronation sequence, King Dashratha’s putra moh (love for the son), Kaikeyi’s son and her subsequent loathing for her most loved stepson, and the evil Manthara’s wheeling and dealing to have Ram removed from the throne – all of it is oddly engaging and diverting. The sequence before the climax is very moving. High on CGI and VFX-driven, the Jatayu-Ravana sequence is thrilling, though Ravana’s Pushpaka Vimana looks like a merry-go-round at a school fair.
I also have reservations about Lara Dutta playing Kaikeyi in heavily accented Hindi like she’d break into, “Hello darling, let’s pardee” any time. Rakul Preet’s Shurpanakha is a meaty part, and she’s not bad at all.
Sai Pallavi’s dubbed voice was bothering me a bit, but she does give Sita a sensitive and spiritual touch. Ravi Dubey is okay as Lakshman and adds a lightness to the proceedings. Kajal Aggarwal is wasted. Though Vivek Oberoi, in a brief role, makes an impact.
What really adds to the dramaturgy is Ravana. Yash is in fine form (expertly dubbed by Sharad Kelkar), giving the character heft. His imposing body language draws all the eyeballs. He’s excellent. It must take an extremely secure actor like Ranbir Kapoor to concede so much footage to a co-actor, considering how Bollywood stars usually function. Ranbir Kapoor is mellow and gives Ram the necessary restraint and gravitas.
If I had to cavil, it would be the length. At times, the film meanders, but you cannot help being moved by the sheer audacity of the scale and Tiwari’s complete control of his material. The Rama-Sita pre-marriage sequence, the vanquishing of the Asuras after the attack on Shurpanakha, and Sita’s abduction are all nice touches.
The editing is an interesting pattern. Full props to the production design and absolutely splendid period costumes. Mercifully, there are no Hindutva homages, but they have rigorously stuck to and reinterpreted the texts.
The background score by Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, Dune, Rain Man, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, The Last Samurai, The Dark Knight trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean series) and AR Rahman is rousing; alas, can’t say the same about the playback songs.
Some of the scenes are unintentionally funny when you hear Ranbir saying “Sitey” or Lakshman saying “Maatey”, but overall, the dialogue, especially before Ram’s intended coronation or Ravana’s banter, is actually well done.
I wholeheartedly recommend Part 1 of Ramayana for anyone who’s an aficionado of the old text. For an audience inured to K-pop and Obsession, this might actually be a welcome distraction. It’s a visual buffet which won’t give you a tummy ache. Go ahead, make it your matinee.
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