When Ramanand Sagar’s Epic Series Ramayan Took Over the Airwaves, Streets Emptied, Functions Rescheduled

During the telecast of Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan on Doordarshan, the streets would empty out, official functions would be rescheduled, and wedding rituals would be delayed.

Devotees would perform aarti in front of their television sets before settling down with their families to watch the show.

Despite the primitive special effects and eye-catching, blingy costumes by today’s standards, the series struck a spiritual chord with the audience.

Beyond its visual aspects, Ramayan was known for its dramatic storytelling, emotional depth, and sheer entertainment value.

Even during the lockdown, when it was re-aired on OTT platforms, Ramayan continued to break viewership records.

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Ramayan holds a significant place in our cultural heritage, requiring a filmmaker to approach its presentation to a Gen Z audience with faith and humility, rather than relying solely on extravagant spectacles and computer-generated imagery.

The choice to incorporate visual elements from various Hollywood sci-fi fantasies, instead of crafting an original script, raises questions about the necessity to tamper with such an epic. The inclusion of cherry blossoms in Sri Lanka, Hanuman speaking Bambaiya (Mumbai slang), the darkly Gothic interpretation of Sone ki Lanka, and Raavan resembling a Bollywood character can be seen as a departure from true modernization and instead considered a travesty.

The film primarily focuses on the narrative following the banishment of Raghav (Prabhas), Janki (Kriti Sanon), and Shesh (Sunny Singh) into the forest. Raavan (Saif Ali Khan) attains invincibility through a boon from Lord Brahma, resembling the one granted to Hiranyakashyap of Bhakht Prahlad fame. Raavan emerges from the Himalayas with ten heads that can manifest at will, accompanied by the characteristic villainous laughter commonly found in Hindi movies, which might take considerable time to fade away.

The film loses its authenticity when asuras, resembling dementors, appear to attack Ram. Subsequently, orcs, dragons, and creatures from the Jurassic era populate the frames, seemingly aiming to showcase the ability of Raut and his VFX team to rival Western fantasy movies inspired by comic books and amusement parks. While this might or might not resonate with foreign audiences, Indian viewers are likely to be disenchanted with the liberties taken in portraying this epic.

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Visual depictions such as Raavan receiving a python massage or Lord Hanuman speaking in a Mumbai tapori style (using slang like “ab lagegi tere baap ki” to Indrajeet, Raavan’s son), Indrajeet adorned with full-body tattoos akin to a WWF wrestler, and the presence of Mughal-era leather armor and cannon fire in that era, appear to be the imaginative creations of a team of computer wizards who should have referred to Ram Rajya (1943) or Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan for guidance (as the disclaimer suggests), or consulted Valmiki’s original text.

The film’s exteriors, set in India, are consistently depicted as dark, with black clouds ominously looming overhead. The interiors of Raavan’s palace resemble scenes from Game of Thrones, with references to Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, How to Train Your Dragon, and other such visually influenced works.

Amidst the chaos of computer-generated mayhem, the essence of the story gets overshadowed, and even the actors themselves appear diminished by the overwhelming scale of the action. Prabhas maintains a serene presence, but even he seems out of place when forced to perform a romantic song in a dream sequence. Saif Ali Khan appears as if he walked in from a different movie altogether. Sunny Singh, Kriti Sanon, and Devdutta Nage (as Hanuman) do their best given the circumstances.

While a few familiar bhajans (devotional songs) are melodious, the majority of the background score is overpowering and jarring to the ears.