Adipurush: The latest in a long tradition of films inspired by the Ramayana

Indian cinema has shown a fascination with the Ramayana across industries, with adaptations dating back to the subcontinent’s very first films in the early 20th century. Aside from simple adaptations, where little to no change was made to the source material, there have also been derivations where the epic has been reinterpreted in the modern era and dealt with more contemporary themes.

But more importantly, the story has become one an indelible part of popular culture, with its characters and attitudes that often become symbolic of a larger problem or issue. For example, if two people in a movie are named “Ram” and “Sita,” it’s almost obvious that they will marry and be the “ideal” couple, with the woman eventually having to prove her loyalty and chastity.

We take a brief look at the enduring legacy of the Ramayana:

era before independence

Dadasaheb Phalkethe “father of Indian cinema” chose the Ramayana as the subject for his second film “1917”. Lanka Dahan. The film is based on the Sundar Kanda Chapter of the epic dealing with the adventures of Hanuman and his role in rescuing Sita from Ravana’s kingdom. The film is also notable for having the first “dual role” by an actor in Indian cinema, in which Anna Salunke plays both Rama and Sita (women were not allowed to participate in commercial arts at the time).

In 1934, C. Pullayya directed the Telugu film Lava Kusa, which became the first major commercial success in Telugu cinema and paved the way for Hindu mythological films to thrive in the industry for decades to come. The film is also credited with attracting audiences to theaters and ultimately building a growing body of theater among the Telugu-speaking population.

Another notable venture was that of Vijay Bhatt Ram Rajya (1943) starring Prem Adib as Rama and Shobhna Samarth as Sita. It was the first Indian film to premiere in the US and was also notable for its title and its connection to the Indian independence movement – ‘Ram Rajya’ literally translates to ‘Reign of Rama’, an expression Mahatma Gandhi often used invoke democratic rule for India. Ram Rajya ended up being the only film Gandhi ever saw, as he was fundamentally opposed to the cinematic medium.

Bhatt made at least three more films with Adib and Samarth playing Rama and Sita: a year earlier Ram Rajyaon which the three had been working Bharat Milap (1942), and the collaboration would be repeated with Rambaan (1948) and ramayan (1954). In fact, Adib and Samarth were so popular as mythological characters that, according to Heidi RM Pauwel’s book, they appeared in calendars as Ram and Sita Indian Literature and Popular Cinema: Recasting Classics.

NT Rama Rao, the mythological star of Telugu cinema

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Raopopularly known as NTR, has played Hindu gods in films so often that commentators have credited these roles over the years with bringing him near-unprecedented success in the political arena, ultimately making him one of the most popular Prime Ministers of Andhra Pradesh .

Although NTR is best known for his roles as Lord Krishna, he also played Rama in many major films. 1958, a year after he appeared in Krishna Mayabazaar (a role and film still popular to this day), he starred in the Tamil film Sampoorna Ramayanam where he played Rama and Tamil superstar Sivaji played Ganesan Bharatha. Padmini, one of the most popular actresses of the time, played Sita.

In 1963 he played in Lava Kusa, a remake of the C Pullayya film. The new film was also directed by Pullayya along with his son CS Rao. The film won the National Award for Best Telugu Feature Film and was the industry’s first full-length color film.

NTR would continue to direct, produce and star Sri Rama Pattabhishekam (1978), a film in which he played both Rama and Ravana, the protagonist and antagonist of Ramayana respectively.

His descendants later starred in Ramayana adaptations. Nandamuri Balakrishna, NTR’s son, played Rama Sri Rama Rajyam (2011), an adaptation of Lava Kusa (1963). Nayanthara played Sita in the film while NTR’s contemporary Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR) played Valmiki.

Before that, in 1997, NTR’s grandson (son of his other son Nandamuri Harikrishna), Nandamuri Taraka starred as Rama Rao Jr. (who later became famous as NTR Jr.) as Rama in Ramayanam (1997) as Child Actor. The film featured thousands of child actors and won the National Film Award for Best Children’s Film.

foreign adjustments

One of the most popular adaptations of the Ramayana in the 21st century is the anime film Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama (1992). It was directed by Koichi Sasaki, Yugo Sako and Ram Mohan (known as the “Father of Indian Animation”) and provided musical accompaniment by acclaimed musician Vanraj Bhatia. The film was controversial from the start as its production coincided with the height of the dispute between Babri Masjid and Ram Janmabhoomi and was even banned for a time. A Hindi-dubbed version was later aired on DD National, which eventually developed a cult following.

Another animated adaptation that caused controversy was that of Nina Paley Sita sings the blues (2008), a juxtaposition of Sita’s journey in the epic and the director’s own life experiences. Right-wing Hindu organization Hindu Janajagruti Samiti said the film “attempts to misrepresent the events and characters of Ramayana in the most derogatory manner through its explicit graphics, audio and dialogue,” and called for a total ban. Protests were also staged at US screenings of the film. Sita sings the blues would win a number of awards.

Opera Java (2006) is an Indonesian-Austrian film based on the chapter “Abduction of Sita” from the Ramayana. It is a musical that features traditional Javanese classical music and dance in an operatic setting. The couple in the film used to act in plays depicting the epic and highlighting the cultural tradition of Ramayana in Indonesia.

One of the latest foreign adaptations of the Ramayana was Yak: The giant king (2015), which retells the story of Hanuman from the Thai version of the epic Ramakien. The film falls into the sci-fi genre and is a futuristic adaptation of the epic.

Ramayana in 21st Century India

In 2001, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi Lajja published, featuring the stories of four women in the oppressive patriarchal Indian society. All four had names that are versions of ‘Sita’: Vaidehi, Janki, Ramdulari and Maithili. This, predictably, also sparked controversy, with reports from BJP staff in Madhya Pradesh burning effigy of Santoshi and posters of Dixit for “objectionable dialogue” about Hindu gods in the film.

Veteran director Mani Ratnam made the Tamil-Hindi bilingual Ravananan/Raavan in 2010. The films had slight variations in their cast but otherwise followed the same story of a police officer in search of a tribal chief-turned-Naxalite who kidnapped his wife. In this modernized Ramayana there is also the additional layer of the Sita character Raagini (played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in both versions) who has Stockholm Syndrome (an alleged psychological condition in which kidnap victims form bonds with their captors). Ratnam’s version is also notable for emphasizing the perspective of the Ravana character.

There were also two animated adaptations of the film: Ramayana: The Epic And Lava Kusa: The Warrior Twinsboth released in 2010.