Ramanand Sagar, Yugo Sako and now Nitesh Tiwari; Ramayana is spectacular

Director: Nitesh Tiwari

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Arun Govil, Sai Pallavi, Rakul Preet, Kajal Agarwal, Shobana and Vivek Oberoi

Writer: Nitesh Tiwari, Shridhar Raghavan

Music: AR Rahman, Hans Zimmer

Ramayana, the Indian literary tome describing the triumph of good over evil, has been adapted into visual format for aeons. The previous generation would talk highly of Ramanand Sagar's classic Ramayan, which became a landmark during 1987–1988. Another fondly remarked version of the epic is Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama (1993), an Indo-Japanese co-production directed by Yugo Sako. Not every attempt attained success, as some failed miserably at the box office.

Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana Part 1, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, without any shred of doubt, will join the elite club of Ramanand Sagar and Yugo Sako. This movie is an example of money spent wisely. Unlike other big-budget movies of recent times, this is not just a mere visual spectacle without substance.

Tiwari, a former advertising professional and a national award winner with ‘Dangal ’, took up the project that even gave nightmares to veteran filmmakers. It could have gone either way, but Tiwari knew success was within reach, and it seems like he was right after all.

Plot:

The epic story begins with Dashanana, a meek sitar-playing teen, being confronted by his mother for being feeble at a time when the Asuras were treated as destitute. The Asuras are fighting poverty while the noble class continues to rule the kingdom of Lanka. Following his mother's advice, Dashanana has an epiphany and takes up a Tapas (deep spiritual austerity, heat, or self-discipline), something of the kind humanity has never seen before. The story soon unfolds to Dashanana’s transformation into Ravana, the indisputable emperor of Lanka.

Meanwhile, in Ayodhya, King Dasharatha and Queen Kaushalya are blessed with a son whom they name Rama, the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu. Rama is the embodiment of Dharma, and the kingdom of Ayodhya reveres him. The little kid goes on to become one of the greatest archers of all time and marries Sita of the ancient Mithila Kingdom.

However, tides shift when Rama is forced into exile in the forest for 14 years with Sita and his brother Lakshmana just before his scheduled coronation as the king of Ayodhya.

Ranbir Kapoor, with his sculpted warrior physique and pretty-boy charm, plays Lord Rama. Ranbir doesn’t overdo the protagonist role and stays well within what the script demands, putting on an effective acting display. Ravi Dubey as an outspoken Lakshmana stays in the limelight, while Sai Pallavi as a demure yet valiant Sita excels with her acting prowess.

Yash as Dashanana, the half-Brahmin and half-Asura king, is the show-stealer of part 1 with an energetic portrayal that fits the title of demon King. Another performance that is worthy of praise comes from Rakul Preet as Shurpanakha, the queen with shape-shifting powers.

The larger-than-life combination of A.R. Rahman-Hans Zimmer soundtrack pays dividends. The Zimmer magic with Rahman melody at times helped raise the adrenaline. The Production & VFX work by Prime Focus Studios, Monster Mind Creations, and visual-effects powerhouse DNEG is top-notch, and if not, the best Indian movie has ever witnessed.

Huzefa Lokhandwala’s edits are precise, sans taking away the movie's charm. Pankaj Kumar, who helmed the camera, might have just created his best work to date.

With such pre-release hype and criticism on casting, Ramayana arrived in theatres with the risk of getting slammed even for the slightest error or lag. However, Nitesh Tiwari and crew, with their meticulous understanding of cinema and people’s pulse, have taken the Indian epic to a new dimension.

The story is nothing new; however, the visuals, scene framing, performance and narration are rich enough to make someone whisper “Absolute Cinema” the moment the credits start rolling.