A review of the Indian blockbuster 'Ramayana: Rise of a Legend'

India has a powerful film industry that has produced many blockbusters that have not reached Western cinemas.

A review of 'The Social Reckoning' and the issues the film fails to address
'Heart of the Beast', a commentary on this survival film

This week, we have one of the exceptions: "Ramayana: Rise of a Legend," the most expensive film ever made in India. This feature film is the first of two parts that recount the story found in the Ramayana, one of the most famous sacred texts of Hinduism.

I must admit that I am not at all a fan of Indian cinema—partly because it stems from a cultural environment that feels quite alien to me, and partly because its aesthetic excesses simply do not align with my personal tastes. This time, I decided to make an exception because the film’s trailer struck me as truly spectacular, and I felt it deserved a chance—even though it is quite a long movie: the version released in Spain runs for 2 hours and 45 minutes, while the version released in India lasts 3 hours and 15 minutes.

The film is directed by Nitesh Tiwari, one of India’s most prestigious filmmakers, though he is little known in the West. The soundtrack is the work of German composer Hans Zimmer and Indian composer Allah Rakha Rahman, and it is truly excellent. In fact, were it not for cultural barriers, this film would have all the ingredients to be a box-office success in the West, including magnificent cinematography and spectacular special effects.

I have been very interested in mythology for many years, but I know very little about Hindu myths. This film has helped me get to know them a bit better. Some elements struck me as rather strange, while others seemed somewhat peculiar. In any case, I found it to be a good film and well worth watching—if only for the sake of opening oneself up to new experiences. An interesting detail is that the film uses artificial intelligence for lip-syncing, aligning the characters' lip movements with the dubbed language; however, the voices in other languages ​​(the film was originally shot in Hindi) are provided by voice actors. Here is the trailer in English: