Ramayana The Legend of Prince Rama review: Growing up, we have all watched Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama on Doordarshan and YouTube. Be it the Hindi version or the English dub, we have appreciated them all. So, one might wonder why this film is needed in theatres now. Of course, there is nostalgia, a powerful enough reason, as evident by the flurry of re-releases. But The Legend of Prince Rama has much more going for it. The experience of watching Yugo Suko's era-defining animation in 4K on a big screen is worth a trip to the theatre. Yes, the dub is new, and the voices are fresh, but that does not take anything away from what is arguably the best adaptation of Ramayana ever made. (Also read: Two films released with same story, characters: One became highest-rated Indian film, other lost ₹220 crore; here's how)
The Legend of Prince Rama tells a cross-section from the Ramayana, focussing on the events during Lord Rama's exile to the abduction of Sita and the eventual battle of Sugreeva's vaanar sena with Ravana's demons. It is a tale most Indians know by heart. But the film makes it work by evoking the simplicity of Ramayana and blending it with animation that has stood the test of time.
Ramayana The Legend of Prince Rama does not appear dated
Despite being originally made in 1992, The Legend of Prince Rama does not appear dated in any way. The animation is just as fresh as it was 33 years ago. In fact, digital remastering has made sure that it appears just as fine on the big screen, too. The visuals have been the film's strength ever since it was first shown on DD three decades ago. And that gets only better on the big screen. It was quite successful in healing the scars I had from watching (enduring) Adipurush a couple of years ago.
The dubbing is new. For a generation that grew up on Amrish Puri's baritone for Ravana, Arun Govil's silken voice as Lord Rama, and Shatrughan Sinha's impactful narration, it is jarring at first, mostly because of the unfamiliar faces with the familiar visuals. Yet, the dubbing isn't bad. It has just been adapted for the time. It is much more dramatic and cinematic. Remember, the original dub was from an era when Ramanand Sagar had set the benchmark with his simple depiction of the epic. The new dub has a more cinematic appeal to it.
{{/usCountry}}The dubbing is new. For a generation that grew up on Amrish Puri's baritone for Ravana, Arun Govil's silken voice as Lord Rama, and Shatrughan Sinha's impactful narration, it is jarring at first, mostly because of the unfamiliar faces with the familiar visuals. Yet, the dubbing isn't bad. It has just been adapted for the time. It is much more dramatic and cinematic. Remember, the original dub was from an era when Ramanand Sagar had set the benchmark with his simple depiction of the epic. The new dub has a more cinematic appeal to it.
{{/usCountry}}The simplicity in the narrative is not lost, though. It shines through as the dubbing complements the animation rather than trying to compete with it. The songs, which have been popular among Indian millennials, are a bit unfamiliar too. We hear the Sanskrit versions of popular tracks like Janani Main Raamdoot Hanuman and Vaanar Sena instead of the more familiar Hindi ones. But again, Vanraj Bhatia's music is a balm to the ears. And the songs still fit very well. To those who have never watched the OG version, there'll be little to crib about.
Wish there was a bit more nuance though
The Legend of Prince Rama may be the best adaptation of Ramayana, but it is still not without its flaws. It presents a very black-and-white take on the epic, glossing over Ravana's wisdom and presenting him as an evil asura and nothing more. Similarly, it chooses to omit Sita's agni-paksha as well, keeping the narrative uncomplicated, but also loses some of the nuances that any retelling of Ramayana needs.
If I had one complaint about this delayed release (beyond the fact that it has taken 33 years to release in India), it would be that not all films need intervals. This one could have been done without them.
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