CG Today Review: Ramayana - The Epic (2010)

CG Today Rating: 2.6 / 5

Once again is brought to you the most popular story ever told, the legend of Rama, the original Indian superhero by Maya Entertainment Ltd. Ketan Mehta's Ramayana - The Epic in 3D animation directed by Chetan Desai.

Director: Chetan Desai
Writer: Chetan Desai
Music: Shaarang Dev Pandit
Cast (Voice) : Manoj Bajpai, Juhi Chawla, Mukesh Rishi & Ashutosh Rana
Producer: Maya Entertainment Ltd (Deepa Sahi,Niraj Bhukanwala)
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Genre: Action / Mythology / Animation
Release Date: 15 Oct 2010
Running Time: 120 Mins
Language: Hindi, Tamil and Telugu
Country: India

Story line

When Rama, the eldest son of the King of Ayodhya, Dashratha, is sent to exile for fourteen years by insecure step-mother Kaikeyi, his devoted wife Sita and younger brother Lakshmana accompany him and they all settle peacefully in the heart of the jungle of Chitrakoot until the day tragedy strikes. Sita is abducted by ten-headed demon ruler of Lanka, Ravana, who wants revenge after his beloved sister's lust is spurned by Rama. From there starts the epic battle between good and evil as Rama unleashes his powers to save his wife from the clutches of Ravana. He is helped in his pursuit by brother Lakshmana and the mighty Hanuman but that is not all. Rama and Sita are put through more ordeals as Sita's chastity is questioned upon returning to Ayodhya.

Genre

Ramayana - The Epic is a story that comes from deep within the religious sentiments of all Indians and it is now coming to you like never before in 3D animation. The movie is obviously more oriented to appeal to the kids but it can also be enjoyed by adults and elders. It has action, adventure, fantasy and fun sequences all set to take you for the ride of your life in the deep routes of the Indian culture.

Insider Review

The environment design for Ramayana - The Epic can only described as grand. Justice is done to the characters though Sita could have been depicted a bit better. Ravana just steals the spotlight and Ashutosh Rana does a splendid job. Innovative technologies have been used optimally with voice over’s and visual effects. You will undoubtedly have your moments of adrenaline rush. The editing is crisp and the story just flows. Perhaps a few punches added to the screenplay would have made it more perfect. Towards the middle of the second half, you do get the feeling that the story is being hurried along and there is considerable disparity in the quality of the animation.

In general we can say that there could have been a better realism in the characters' movements; their muscles and joints do not seem to articulate correctly with their motion. While many Indian animations tend to focus on the foreground, Ramayana - The Epic is certainly not one of them. The background was relevant all the time. Even though there is a certain disparity in the quality, the animation is very fluid throughout. An interesting fact we noticed was the lighting effects. They were coherent with the real-time mood of the animation. However, the features that were most appealing to us in terms of quality, were the dynamics and simulations; appreciated.

CG Today - Insider Rating:

Character Design: 2/5
Background Design: 3/5
Animation: 2.5/5
Lighting: 2.5/5
Dynamics / Simulation: 3/5

(Only the CG part of the film is been rated.)

Soundtracks

Sia Ram Ram - Singer: Neeraj Shridhar
Jungle Ke Raja - Singer: Mika Singh
Jaiya ho - Singer: Sukhwindher Singh
Tu hi tu hai - Singer: Shreya Ghoshal

Shaarang Dev Pandit does an absolutely splendid job with the music direction. The songs are outstanding and are an integral part of the plot. Kids will absolutely love this new version of the legendary Ramayana. Perhaps the one downside where audio technical issues are concerned is the use of very textual sanskrit that children might not understand. Some of the dialogues could have been improved for sure.

Released on the 15th of October, we personally loved the movie. We would recommend it to anyone no matter the age group. While Ramayana - The Epic is not Avatar, it is definitely the proof that Indian cinema is well on the rise on a global basis. Indian cinema makes things happen and Ramayana -The Epic gives testimony to that. Finally 3D is what it is supposed to be, you will enjoy the visual experience, no doubt. On a separate note, try leaving skepticism at the door and bring with you lots of popcorn.

The Official website of 'Ramayana - The Epic'