Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama
| Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Koichi Sasaki Ram Mohan Yugo Sako |
| Screenplay by | Narendra Sharma Rani Burra Ram Mohan Koichi Sasaki Hiroshi Onogi Ram Mohan Yugo Sako |
| Based on | Ramayana by Valmiki |
| Produced by | Yugo Sako Kenji Yoshii Atsushi Matsuo |
| Starring | Rael Padamsee Uday Mathan Mishal Varma Noel Godin |
| Edited by | Makato Arai Wayne Schmidt |
| Music by | Vanraj Bhatia |
| Animation by | Kazuyuki Kobayashi |
Production company | Nippon Ramayana Film Co. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 135 minutes |
| Countries | Japan India |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ¥800 million [1] |
Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama is a 1992 anime film co-produced by Japan and India; produced and directed by Yugo Sako. It is based on the Indian epic Ramayana.[2][3] The film was directed by Koichi Sasaki and Ram Mohan, with music composed by Vanraj Bhatia. Although it was banned in India during the Babri Masjid riots, it was later dubbed in Hindi and aired on DD National.
Premise[edit]
Ayodhya king Dasharatha is forced by his third wife Kaikeyi to exile prince Rama for 14 years, where Rama, along with his brother Lakshmana and wife Sita departs from Ayodhya, and starts a new life in the forest until Ravana, the demon king of Lanka kidnaps Sita in order to destroy Rama. Learning this, Rama and Lakshmana sets out to rescue Sita with the help of Hanuman and Sugreeva, the king of Kishkindha who leads an army of monkeys called Vanara.
Voice cast[edit]
English[edit]
- Nikhil Kapoor - Rama
- Rael Padmasee – Sita
- Uday Mathan – Ravana
- Mishal Varma – Lakshmana
- Noel Godin – Hanuman
- Bulbul Mukherjee – Dasharatha
- Madhulika Varma – Kaikeyi
- Rahul Bose – Bharata
- Pearl Padamsee – Manthara
- Bhargava Krishna – Kumbhakarna
- Shagufta Jaffrey – Surpanakha
- Easo Vivin Mathew – Indrajit
- Denzil Smith – Sugreeva
- Cyrus Broacha – Angada
- Dodo Bhujwala – Additional Voices
- Rohan Arthur – Additional Voices
- Avi Shroff – Additional Voices
- Akash Sharma S - Additional Voices
- Salome Parikh – Additional Voices
- Farid Saboonchi – Additional Voices
- Leeya Mehta – Additional Voices
Hindi Dubbed[edit]
- Shatrughan Sinha – Narrator
- Arun Govil – Rama
- Namrata Sawhney – Sita
- Shakti Singh – Lakshmana
- Adarsh Gautam – Bharata
- DHARA SINGH – Hanuman
- Amrish Puri – Ravana
- Harjeet Walia – Dasharatha
- Sava- Kaikeyi
- Manju Bhatia- Manthara
- Rakesh Vidua- Jatayu
- Umesh Sharma – Jambavan
- Raj Joshi – Sugreeva
- Pradeep Shukla – Kumbhakarna
Production[edit]
In 1983, while working on "The Ramayana Relics" a documentary film about excavations by Dr. B. B. Lal near Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh (India) Yugo Sako came to know about the story of Ramayana. He liked the story of the Ramayana so much that he researched deeper into the topic and went on to read 10 versions of the Ramayana in Japanese. After reading the Ramayana he wanted to adapt it into animation as he didn't think a live-action movie could capture the true essence of Ramayana, "Because Ram is God, I felt it was best to depict him in animation, rather than by an actor."[4] TEM Co., Ltd. financed the production and a new production studio Nippon Ramayana Film Co., Ltd. was set up [2][5] and the principal animation of the film began in 1990 with 450 artists on board. Indian animators guided their Japanese teammates with Indian customs and traditions depicted in the film like how dhotis are worn and how the children receive blessings from their elders.[4][6]
Controversies[edit]
The Indian Express misinterpreted Yugo Sako's "The Ramayana Relics" documentary and published that he was making a new Ramayana. Soon thereafter, a protest letter based on the misunderstanding from the Vishva Hindu Parishad was received by the Japanese Embassy in Delhi, which said that no foreigners could arbitrarily cinematize Ramayana because it was the great national heritage of India.[7] After the misconceptions were cleared, Yugo Sako proposed the idea of an animated Ramayana to the VHP and the government. He told them that animation was a serious art form in Japan and it would help bring the Ramayana to a wider global audience. The Government agreed initially, but later declined his proposal for a bi-nation collaboration, saying the Ramayana is a very sensitive subject and cannot be portrayed as a cartoon. Also, the fact that the movie was being made at the height of the Ayodhya dispute, added to the controversy and axed the prospects of producing it in India. With no choice and support left, the movie was ultimately produced in Japan with nearly 450 artists from both nations contributing to its creation.[8]
Music[edit]
There are different songs for the Original English Version (sung in Sanskrit) and the Hindi Dub version (sung in Hindi), both are listed below. The lyrics are written by Vasant Dev (Sanskrit) and P.K. Mishra (Hindi).
English Version Soundtrack (Sanskrit)[edit]
| Song | Artist(s) |
|---|---|
| Sita in Panchwati: the forest dwelling | Kavita Krishnamurthy |
| Hanuman descends from the tree and with folded hands sits before Sita and sings | Vinod Rathod |
| Song of the monkeys when constructing the bridge | Chorus by many |
| Marching song of Ravana's soldiers | Chorus by many |
Hindi Version Soundtrack (Hindi)[edit]
| Song | Artist(s) |
|---|---|
| Sumiran Karle Mannwa | Kavita Krishnamurthy |
| Sita in Panchavati: The Forest Dwelling | Sadhana Sargam |
| Janani Main Rama Doot Hanuman | Udit Narayan |
| Shri Raghuvar Ki Vaanar Sena | Chorus by many |
| Jai Lankeshwar | Chorus by many |
| Ram Bolo | Channi Singh |
Release[edit]
The original English version with Sanskrit songs was worked on by teams from both countries and was screened for the first time at 24th International Film Festival of India, New Delhi, January 10–20, 1993.[9] The film was also shown at the 1993 Vancouver International Film Festival.[10]
The Hindi dub version was released in the late 1990s. Arun Govil, who is popularly known for playing the role of Rama in Ramayan (1987 TV series) voiced Prince Rama in the version. This film was distributed as a work in the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Diplomatic Relations between Japan and India. The film was not released on a large scale as the Ram Janmabhoomi (Birthplace) Movement was at its peak and the movie made into controversy. But later it was released on TV channel Cartoon Network.[11]
It was released in the United States as Warrior Prince or The Prince of Light: The Legend of Ramayana by Krishna Shah,[4][7] further localized English dub with narration by James Earl Jones, prince Rama voiced by Bryan Cranston and additional music by Alan Howarth.[12] That version was released on November 9, 2001.[13]
It was the opening film of the 2000 Lucca Animation Film Festival in Italy, a highlight of the Cardiff Animation Film Festival in the United Kingdom and won Best Animation Film of the Year at the 2000 Santa Clarita International Film Festival in the United States.
2022 was an important year for both countries as they marked 70 years of India-Japan relations. On the occasion of 70th Anniversary Year, the remaster of this film would be launched during the 5th edition of Japanese Film Festival in India, along with 10 other films.[14]
The specific 2022 edition of the original film is called the Anniversary Edition, which is a 4K Remaster version of the original film with stereo audio and better graphics and visuals as tech use in the original film is old. This is also the first time that this anime movie would be released theatrically, following with releases in DVDs, Blu-rays and OTT platforms.[3][15]
Reception[edit]
When it was screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival, festival director Alan Franey called the film "Extraordinary", and said "The backgrounds are done in beautiful detail, while the foreground characters are an Indian version of the Disney style, with big dewey eyes."[10]
The film won "Best Animation Film of the Year" award at the Santa Clarita International Family Film Festival.[16] In 2001, Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced a new category, Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Ramayana was one of nine films that qualified to be nominated.[17]
Ken Eisner writing in Variety in 1993 was critical of the film, saying the film is "Relentlessly paced, pic has no heart" and "not even great to look at."[18] Robert Koehler reviewed the film again in 2001 for Variety, also giving it a critical review. He described the film as a "curious fusion of an interesting if simplified literary adaptation with emphatically second-rate animation technique" and said "the blatantly American vocal casting and direction are painfully out of kilter with the 5,000-year-old Indian setting".[19]
References[edit]
- ^ "Overview of the film". Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama. Archived from the original on 9 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama (Japan)". Ramayana Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ a b Singh, Supriya (19 March 2022). "Groundbreaking "Ramayana" anime remastered for new audience 30 years on". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ a b c Melwani, Lavina (April 2001). "Yugo Sako's Ramayan Odyssey". Beliefnet. Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ "Screening of "Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama", an animated film co-produced by Japan and India". Tokyo University of Foreign Studies Cinema (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ "Ram Mohan – Biography, Works, Interview, etc. at Design in India". designinindia.net. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Prince of Light: Production". 8 June 2002. Archived from the original on 9 June 2002. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ "VIDEO REVIEWS – Magazine Web Edition > June 1993 – Publications – Hinduism Today Magazine". www.hinduismtoday.com. Archived from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ "24th International Film Festival: Grim celluloid images mirror turmoil of recent events". India Today. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ a b Peter, Birnie (4 June 1993). "Film Festival: Franey finds hunt for film fare fascinating". The Vancouver Sun. p. 31. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ Rajeev, M. (21 January 2011). "Animated films failed because of content". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "Did you know Hollywood star Bryan Cranston voiced for Lord Ram in the animated film 'The Prince of Light: The Legend of Ramayana". Times of India. 4 February 2021. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (3rd ed.). New York: Checkmark Books. pp. 215–216. ISBN 978-0-8160-6600-1.
- ^ "Japanese Film Festival India 2022 English theatre-plays Play in Bengaluru Tickets". BookMyShow. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ "Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama Anime Film Gets 4K Remaster". Anime News Network. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ Linder, Brian (14 December 2001). "Academy Announces New Ani-Oscar". IGN. Archived from the original on 19 November 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ "Best animated feature will get an Oscar". UPI. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ Eisner, Ken (5 December 1993). "Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama". Variety. Archived from the original on 24 March 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ Koehler, Robert (8 November 2001). "The Prince Of Light: The Legend Of Ramayana". Variety. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- Official Website of "The Prince of Light" – Archive.org (The site was closed in 2009.)
- Yugo Sako's Ramayan Odyssey at Beliefnet
- Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama at IMDb
- The Prince of Light at IMDb
- Prince of Light at Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences database
