Ramayana – A Wonderful Cinematic Experience!

 

(Image Courtesy - Ramayana movie production team and Wikipedia)

Ramayana, a movie by Nitesh Tiwari, was a wonderful cinematic experience!

Any movie made from a well-known story or a much-loved book is bound to garner some criticism. After all, we all have our own versions of Ramayana in our heads. From shlokas, Amar Chitra Katha, TV shows, older movies, stories narrated by elders, stage dramas and what not! So it's only fair that we draw comparisons.

But despite all that, and despite what people may feel about the casting, this movie, for me, was really, really good. I came out of the theater smiling, and I am still in its haze a day later!

Each actor has given their all to their roles. The CGI, action sequences, music, dialogues and the sheer grandeur of the movie were absolutely wonderful.

There were a few moments that really stood out for me.

The Jatayu and Ravana fight sequence was at another level altogether! The music, the action, the attention to detail, the emotions — everything came together so beautifully. Absolutely amazing! I think this was one of my favorite sequences in the entire movie.

And how can I not mention Hans Zimmer's music score! It was simply outstanding! The music added so much to the grandeur, the emotions and the intensity of the scenes. There were moments when the music elevated an already spectacular scene to another level altogether. The Jatayu–Ravana sequence is a perfect example. The combination of the visuals, action and music was absolutely breathtaking. What an experience!

Another aspect I really enjoyed was Rama's gradual understanding of his own destiny, powers and capabilities. I felt they portrayed his growth very well, and Ranbir brought it to life beautifully. It wasn't just about Rama discovering his powers, but also about him understanding who he was and what his journey meant.

There is a dialogue where Rama says that he can only figure out why he had to go into exile by moving forward and not by looking backward.

I absolutely loved this thought! And what I loved even more was how he follows this philosophy throughout the movie. He doesn't dwell on why Lakshmana left Sita behind or why Sita crossed the Lakshman Rekha. He doesn't get caught up in questioning what has already happened. Instead, he is always looking to move forward, focusing on what needs to be done.

I thought this was such a beautiful lesson for all of us. How often do we get stuck looking backward, questioning decisions, wondering why something happened or why someone did what they did? Sometimes the only way to find our answers is to keep moving forward. This was one of those moments in the movie that really stayed with me.

And then there was Ravana and his ten heads having an inner dialogue. That was EPIC! What a brilliant way to portray the different, often warring natures of Ravana. I thought it was such a creative way to show his internal conflicts, the different sides of his personality and the constant battle within himself. Absolutely loved this interpretation!

Of course, there were a few things I could nitpick about, although these were so minor that they didn't really distract me from enjoying the movie.

For one, some of the wide shots felt compressed in IMAX 3D and didn't quite deliver their full potential. Given the scale and grandeur of the visuals, I felt these shots could have been even more spectacular.

I also wish Sita Apaharan had been shown in a bit more detail. It felt like there was a significant gap there, especially considering what a pivotal moment it is in the story.

And one thing that puzzled me was Sita's relative inaction and lack of visible emotion during the Ravana–Jatayu fight. Here was such an intense, emotional battle unfolding before her, and I felt her reaction didn't quite match the gravity of the situation. Not sure what the director was going for there.

But like I said, these are minor things. They certainly didn't take away from the overall experience.

The movie delivered BIG TIME!

The actors truly embodied their characters, the dialogues were meaningful, the action sequences were spectacular, Hans Zimmer's music score was phenomenal, and the visuals added so much to the storytelling. It was grand, emotional and thoroughly enjoyable.

I know there will always be debates about how Ramayana should be portrayed, who should play which character, what should be included and what should have been done differently. And that's understandable. This is a story that so many of us have grown up with, in so many different forms. We all carry our own interpretations and expectations.

But for me, this movie worked. It brought a story I have known all my life to the big screen in a way that made me smile, made me think and left me wanting to revisit some of those moments.

And a day later, I am still thinking about it. That, to me, says a lot about the movie.

Kudos to Nitesh Tiwari and the entire team. Very, very well done!

Vishwanath & Sons – So Much More Than an Age-Gap Romance

 I watched Vishwanath and Sons on Netflix, and I was honestly mildly surprised by just how much I enjoyed it.

(Image Courtesy: Vishwanath & Sons promotional material)

I had seen quite a few reviews online criticizing the age difference between the hero and heroine, with comments about how we need to stop making movies that romanticize relationships like this. So I was a little hesitant to watch it. But since I am a huge fan of Suriya, I decided to give it a chance — and I am so glad I did.

SPOILER WARNING: There may be spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution!

Yes, the age difference is definitely a part of the story, and I understand why it has generated discussion. But we have also seen age-gap relationships explored in movies like Lamhe, Cheeni Kum, Premam, and others. For me, though, this movie had so much more to offer than just that one aspect of the story.

What stood out the most were the kickass dialogues, excellent characterization, perfect casting, strong performances, and some surprisingly thoughtful life lessons.

Let me start with the dialogues because they absolutely killed it in that department. There were so many lines that made me stop and think. A few that stayed with me — without giving away too much of the story — were:

1. If something fails, buying a new one should not be the first option; it should be the last. Money teaches you how to buy things, but difficulties teach you how to live life.
2. People don't drift apart because of fights. They drift apart because they don't know how to talk to each other after one.
3. You should not stop trying until you win. But once you have won, you don't have to keep talking about it.
4. It is okay to sacrifice anything for your dream, but it is not okay to sacrifice your dream for someone else.

There were many more moments like these throughout the movie. The writing manages to be entertaining while occasionally making you stop and reflect on relationships, family, ambition, forgiveness, and life itself.

Another huge strength of the movie is its characters. There are so many different personalities and perspectives woven into the story: the man who wants to have a child through surrogacy but doesn't want marriage; the young woman who agrees to become a surrogate but unexpectedly develops feelings for the baby's father despite her carefree, almost detached attitude toward life; the mother who has endured so much and yet still has an enormous capacity for love; the second wife and sister who carry their own feelings of being wronged and left out; the lawyer friend who can be hilarious one minute and completely serious the next; and the parents whose prejudices ultimately cost them their daughter.

WOW. Such a fascinating mix of characters.

Almost every character brings something different to the story, and many of them make you look at situations from a perspective you might not have considered before.

The casting deserves a special mention too. The casting director really seems to have found the right person for every role, and the actors give their characters everything they have. Radhika, in particular, absolutely shines as the mother. She brings so much warmth, pain, strength, and affection to the role. Such a beautiful performance.

I also thought the ending was handled very well.

Instead of simply wrapping everything up into a neat romantic ending, she is given the opportunity to study, grow, discover who she is, and then decide what she truly wants from the relationship. I loved that.

There is also a conversation where he points out that the age difference may not seem like a big deal right now, but twenty years later she could be in the prime of her life, wanting to travel and experience things while he may no longer be physically able to keep up with her. I thought that was a very mature and realistic way of addressing the age gap rather than pretending it doesn't exist.

Could certain things have been left out? Sure.

For example, the scenes showing the hero hooking up with women through an app weren't exactly necessary for me. But did they take away from the movie? Not really. In a way, they simply showed him as a normal adult with normal emotional and physical needs rather than trying to portray him as some unrealistically perfect hero.

Overall, I really loved this movie.

The dialogues, direction, acting, characterization, and casting were all excellent. There is humor, family drama, romance, emotional baggage, difficult relationships, and plenty of little observations about life scattered throughout the story.

I would highly recommend it and give it a 9/10.

Why not a full 10/10? The editing could have been a little crisper, and I could definitely have done without a few of the fight sequences. But then again, I suppose we need the fights and songs to complete the full Indian-movie experience! 😄 And honestly, even the songs were pretty good.

If the age-gap discussion has made you hesitant to watch the movie, I would still say give it a chance and judge the story as a whole. There is much more going on here than just the romance.

Enjoy watching — and if you have already seen it, let me know what you thought in the comments!

Forgiveness and Reconciliation

We saw the movie "Invictus" yesterday. The film is a true story of how Nelson Mandela tried to unite South Africa by working with Captain of South Africa's Rugby Team. Mandela understood that Rugby is hated by the Black South Africans who saw it as a symbol of Oppression and also violence. But at the same time Mandela, being a man who was imprisoned in a tiny cell for 27 years also foresaw and believed that winning the Rugby world cup could be the thing that the country needed to feel unified. The overwhelming theme of the movie is Reconciliation and forgiveness and in turn to foster a new "Rainbow Nation".

I was very impressed with a scene in the first 30 mins of the of the film when Mandela's Head of Security is not too happy with the white bodyguards being added to his detail, and that is when Mandela's talks about Forgiveness. This particular statement that he says made a very deep impact on me.

"Yes I know, forgiveness starts here. Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon."

Invictus is at its very essence a classically Hollywood, inspirational underdog sports movie--but very well executed by Clint Eastwood. I enjoyed the movie immensely. I think Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon have acted extremely well. Clint Eastwood has set up the context very well and the movie has been woven well enough for the audience to realize what the winning of the Rugby World cup means to the entire nation of South Africa.

Even though the movie has it's share of cliches, it offered me an insight into the power of forgiveness and how it can change the hearts and attitudes of others. I hope you can see the movie and share your thoughts as well.