First thing first, please do not pay any heed to those making hue and cry over why we should not watch Ramayana. Even with its fair share of flaws, this version of Ramayana must be watched at least once keeping aside all the doubts created by so called ‘reviewers’. Watch it for the grandeur, the scale, the ambition that an epic like Ramayana truly deserves. It is an exceptional treat for the eyes—a fairly befitting tribute to the great Indian epic that finally matches the craving the Indians had especially after that horrendous Adipurush.
The visuals are the star. Golden Lanka rises with a density and lived-in detail that earlier Indian VFX rarely achieved. The Pushpak Vimana is a gleaming, lotus-like vessel of gold and copper and even though it is majestically depicted in the movie, somehow, I had the feeling that it looked better in the trailer. I may be wrong, who knows! There are already some people comparing the movie foolishly with the 1987 television classic. In fact, watching Ramayana on the black and white television is one of the fond memories of our childhood. While the television classic will be forever remembered for the devotion it invoked, this version directed by Nitesh Tiwari will be etched in the annals of Indian cinema as one of the best achievements in terms of opulence, grandeurs and phenomenal screen presentation. It is the first Indian production filmed for IMAX. The result is frequently immersive and, in the best sequences, genuinely spectacular.
Ayodhya is kept bright and luminous in its happier moments, darkening only as Ram leaves for exile. Lanka is deliberately black-and-gold with high-contrast lighting and shadows. However, colour grading remains one of the key debatable issues which I am going to talk about soon. The Hans Zimmer–A. R. Rahman score (Zimmer’s first major Indian collaboration) adds grandeur and emotional weight, often elevating the spectacle. Many people are complaining about the BGM or the quality of the songs. Trust me, you do not expect the BGM of KGF in a movie like Ramayana. Pun intended! The songs are pretty well and invoke devotion while watching. It is also being complained that making Ravana too charismatic or cynosure of the first part overshadows the divinity and righteousness of Lord Rama. The makers here have taken the creative liberty to build a formidable villain so that the second part is already a sellable item. Otherwise, going by the book there could not have been any cliffhanger moment like Bahubali 1 as the basic storyline is already known to the entire nation.
Ranbir Kapoor brings a restrained, duty-bound Ram, so much missing in the aggressive version of Maryada Purushottam in that horrendous rendition titled ‘Adipurush’ by one superstar from the south. His calmness, poised composure, emotional equilibrium everything deserves applause. Yash as Ravan dominates this part with magnificent screen presence and intensity; the film gives the antagonist space to feel formidable before the inevitable clash. Sai Pallavi’s Sita has moments of grace and even a warrior edge in places, though the characterisation remains more traditional than some early trailers suggested. There have been talks of lukewarm chemistry between Ram and Sita. On the contrary, I found this to be one of the best parts of the movie. Did you guys expect them to do songs and dance like in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali saga? Supporting players like Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Kunal Kapoor all do justice to their parts however minuscule they may be. Ravi Dubey as Laxman is hilarious and a treat to watch. The only misfit in this otherwise excellent casting is Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha.
The flaws are distinct even though not overpowering. Colour grading is the most consistent technical disappointment. Large stretches feel unnecessarily dark, flattening the detail in elaborate sets, costumes and VFX that the production spent so heavily to create. What should be luminous or richly textured often sits in a murky, dark layers. Rakul Preet Singh’s Surpanakha looks too young and contemporary for the character’s traditional weight and narrative function. Even before Ram was born, she is having the same look she has while she is proposing Ram to marry. Finally, Sita’s meek submission in the Pushpak Vimana contradicts her warrior nature portrayed earlier. The sequence is visually striking but emotionally flat, reducing a defining moment to emotionally an average one. However, these lows fail to pull down the scale of the otherwise a monumental achievement.
Kudos to team Namit Malhotra for embarking on this grand Odessey (Only if you could remove your name from the title! ) .Watch it on the biggest screen possible. The eyes will be rewarded, your soul will be soothed with the brain asking for a bit more.
My rating: 8.5/10
