As a weekend screening brings back the animated version of the Ramayana from the ’90s due to popular demand, we speak with fans and an animator about its legacy
A still from the film featuring Rama and Sita
While the recent debacle of the Saif Ali Khan-Prabhas led feature Adipurush earned brickbats for its portrayals, it also opened doors of nostalgia for Indian viewers. Many on social media recall being mesmerised by an animated feature dating back to 1993 as the perfect example of a well made adaptation of one of India’s greatest epics.
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The film — Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama AKA Prince of Light — began in the late 1980s when Japanese filmmaker Yugo Sako arrived in India to research the epic. Over the next decade, the production involved Koichi Sasaki and the late Ram Mohan — who was one of the pioneers of Indian animation — guided over 450 animators across India and Japan on the feature. It was not until its re-release on television in the early 2000s that it captured popular imagination.
Hanuman carrying the mountain. Pics Courtesy/ramayana-anime.net
This Sunday, Kasa Kai Mumbai will host a screening and discussion on the film. “It was a popular demand from fans. They wanted to watch the animated version to relive their childhood,” says Atharva Naik, community organiser. We speak to fans and an animator to understand what fuels this nostalgia.
On: July 16; 3 pm to 6 pm
At: Redbrick, Sahar road, Andheri East
Log on to: kasakaimumbai.com
Call: 7738681615
Cost: Rs 500
Fluidity and grace
Arindam Sen, 33, cloud engineer
I remember watching the film back in the early 2000s. It was very different from anything we had seen before. I still remember the sequence of Kumbhakarna’s son in a hand-to-hand-combat sequence with Sugriva. I am not sure about the animation technique, but the fluidity of their movement was brilliant. It was a perfect example of how to handle an adaptation — packing in plenty of information without letting go of the important details of the plot. Even if someone has not read the story of Ramayana, this film can be an example.
The perfect adaptation
Nikhil Ravi Kumar, 29, CEO, cirqt.com
The standout factor is that it is an abridged adaptation. They have done it well — shortening the epic and adapting it to a different medium. The Ramayana has 1,000 iterations around the world. Yet, if you show this feature to anyone in the country, they will identify the story and accept it with ease. The other highlight is the hand-drawn animation that makes each character appear lifelike.
Great depth and technique
Yash Naik, 27, SEO engineer
I would say a large part of my understanding of the Ramayana is based on this film. For the team to come together over a complex epic and present it in such simple terms, without losing out on the essence, was great work. It shows a deep and innate understanding of the story. The film has nostalgia. But it also carries emotions and a grace of narration that we miss in animation these days.
The peak of cell animation
Shetty with the late Ram Mohan
When I started working with Ram Mohan sir, the film was already in post-production stage. I recollect seeing the artworks and huge layouts. It was a mammoth production, even by today’s standards. I would not classify it as anime at all. It was pure animation. He [Ram Mohan] brought Indian design sensibilities to the project, particularly to the characters. For him, every scene was a three-act play. You see those subplots — Hanuman, Sampati, Meghnad — treated in great detail. That is what made him a great storyteller. The cell animation was also painstakingly crafted. The feature has a 10-second-long-shot that focuses on a teardrop rolling down from Rama’s eyes. I was among the lucky few to attend the preview ahead of the release. The nuances of the monkeys and Ravana caught my eye. These nuances draw people to the film because you cannot see them in fast-editing patterns of animation today.
Tilak Shetty 55, director and CEO, Graphiti Studios
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