Ramayana: Rise of a Legend Review
Review: With Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, a majestic epic falls victim to clunky action, eye-sore CGI, and awkward AI lip-syncing in what is, unfortunately, just a Part 1.
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, a CGI-laden Bollywood adaptation of the Hindu epic, opened in theaters on November 5. The film, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, aims to mirror the big-budget style of Hollywood movies, similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, it faces criticism for its reliance on CGI effects and dubbing technology.
The antagonist, Ravana, portrayed by Yash, is depicted as a charismatic action anti-hero who prays to the creator-god Brahma atop a cliff. The filmmakers used an in-house Generative A.I. technology called Brahma A.I. to sync the characters' lips with the English dialogue. The dubbing, however, is criticized for creating exaggerated mouth movements that resemble sketches from The Annoying Orange.
The story follows the eternal conflict between demigods, the Devas, and demons, the Asuras. Ravana, the Asura leader, initially prays for power to free his clan and his island kingdom of Lanka from Deva oppression. He then conquers nearby cities using his brothers' help. This forces the demigods to seek protection from Vishnu, who reincarnates as Rama, one of the four princes of the kingdom of Ayodhya.
The film is divided into two parts, leaving the central plot of Rama rescuing his wife Sita from Ravana's clutches unfinished. While Kannada-language superstar Yash delivers a compelling performance as Ravana, the depiction of Rama as an embodiment of virtue in the abstract leaves viewers uninspired. Sita, played by Sai Pallavi, lacks chemistry with Rama and is often portrayed as a damsel in distress.
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