On the day of release of Singham Again, a look at contemporary films based on Ramayana
Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again, releasing on November 1, features the theme of Ramayana among the star cast. Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor and others play epic-inspired roles, adding a mythological twist to the narrative. Let’s take a look at other films that are inspired by Ramayana.
The multi-star cast of Singham Again is one of its biggest attractions, but Rohit Shetty’s inclusion of Ramayana themes has created additional curiosity. This is also true this time, as the country celebrates Diwali, a joyous festival celebrating the return home of Ram and Sita after defeating Ravana.
However, Milap Zaveri, one of the writers of the Ajay Devgan-starrer film, mentioned in an interview that the said theme was always a part of the film’s story, and was not something to cash in on during Diwali. In an interview with Siddharth Kanan, Zaveri revealed that while the film was initially scheduled to release on August 15, the story was still planned keeping Ramayana parallels in mind.
The film has been released in theaters today on November 1 and we will soon know how Rohit Shetty has used Ramayana in his dramatic plot. In Singham Again, Ajay Devgan and Kareena Kapoor Khan play characters inspired by Ram and Sita, while Arjun Kapoor plays a Ravana-like role as the villain. Tiger Shroff’s character plays Lakshman, Ranveer Singh’s Simmba is a nod to Hanuman, and Akshay Kumar’s character draws from Garuda, the bird that aided Ram and Lakshman in the war. Deepika Padukone’s character Shakti Shetty remains somewhat of a mystery till now.
If this mythological twist in a contemporary setting has piqued your interest, here’s a look at several other films that have also woven Ramayana themes into their stories.
we are together
From the unbreakable bond between step-brothers to the exile of the eldest brother, Sooraj Barjatya’s Hum Saath Saath Hain took major inspiration from the Hindu epic. Apart from the plot, the film also used several verses (shlokas) from the Ramayana to take the narrative forward. Starring Salman Khan, Mohnish Bahl, Saif Ali Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Sonali Bendre and Tabu among others, the film is still considered one of the best family dramas.
Ravana
Possibly for the first time, the story of Ramayana was retold from Ravana’s perspective. Famous filmmaker Mani Ratnam simultaneously released Raavan in Hindi and Raavanan in Tamil. The story tells how a Naxalite kidnaps the wife of a policeman posted in his area. However, as the story progresses, it forces you to look beyond good and bad as defined by society.
Some interesting performances, brilliant cinematography and unconventional takes make the film stand out. While Vikram played the antagonist Veera in the Tamil version, Abhishek Bachchan reprized the role in the Hindi film. Interestingly, while Vikram played the lead role of Dev in the Hindi film, actor Prithviraj played the same role for the regional film. However, Aishwarya Rai was retained in both the films.
bahubali
What many people didn’t realize was that SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali was also inspired by Ramayana. The story of the second part of the film revolves around the expulsion of Baahubali and Devasena from the kingdom. During the film’s trailer launch, director Rajamouli told the media, “All my films are inspired by Mahabharata and Ramayana because those are the two epics that I have been taught since childhood. I get an emotional connect with those epics.” ,
RRR
And it’s true, when he directed RRR, the story and characters were heavily inspired by the mythological story. Ram Charan’s portrayal was like Lord Ram while Alia Bhatt’s character reminded everyone of Sita. Junior NTR’s role was influenced by Hanuman, its physical aspects and his loyalty to Rama.
Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again releases in theaters today, November 1, and stars DJ Devgan, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff, Arjun Kapoor and others.