Film Review: Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama

Production

Nippon Ramayana Film Co.

Directors

Koichi Sasaki, Ram Mohan, Yugo Sako

Story & Screenplay

Based on Valmiki’s Ramayana, this animated film attempts to retell the timeless epic through the medium of animation. The narrative covers the major events of Lord Rama’s life, highlighting his virtues, exile, Sita’s abduction, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil.

While the source material is rich in drama, emotion, and moral depth, the screenplay (by Narendra Sharma, Rani Burra, Ram Mohan, Koichi Sasaki, Hiroshi Onogi, and Yugo Sako) struggles to capture the emotional intensity of the epic. The writing feels flat, and the narrative lacks the ability to move or involve the audience. Scenes that should evoke devotion, sorrow, or heroism instead feel mechanical and uninspiring. The dialogues, too, fail to add weight, coming across as dull and underwhelming.

Performances (Voice Acting)

The voice cast lends some life to the otherwise unengaging narrative:

• Yudhvir Dahiya as Rama delivers a fairly good performance.

• Sonal Kaushal voices Sita with grace.

• Rajesh Jolly brings authority to Ravana, though not enough menace.

• Uplaksh Kochhar as Laxman and Archit Maurya as Hanuman are decent.

• Dishi Duggal’s narration is one of the few positives, providing clarity and a steady flow.

Overall, the voice acting ranges from fair to good but cannot salvage the weak writing.

Technical Aspects

• Direction: Koichi Sasaki, Ram Mohan, and Yugo Sako’s direction is average. The storytelling never grips the viewer, leaving the epic tale feeling strangely lifeless.

• Music: Vanraj Bhatia’s score is functional but uninspired, failing to add emotional depth.

• Animation: Kazuyuki Kobayashi’s animation is ordinary by any standard. It lacks finesse, fluidity, and visual appeal, making the film visually underwhelming.

• Editing: Loose and inconsistent, contributing further to the narrative drag.

Verdict

Despite being based on one of the greatest epics of all time, Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama fails to rise to the occasion. The weak screenplay, lack of emotional depth, and unimpressive animation leave it a poor and disappointing adaptation.

⭐ Rating: 1.5/5