The animation movie tells a cross-section from the Ramayana, focussing on the events during Lord Rama’s exile to the abduction of Sita and the eventual battle of Sugreeva’s vaanar sena with Ravana’s demons.
It is a tale most Indians know by heart. But the film makes it work by evoking the simplicity of Ramayana and blending it with animation that has stood the test of time.
The Legend of Prince Rama does not appear dated in any way. The animation is just as fresh as it was 33 years ago.
An adaptation of the Indian epic, which was produced and co-directed by filmmaker and Indophile Yugo Sako to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Japan, is a lively, entertaining and magnificently accomplished piece of feature-length animation.
In fact, digital remastering has made sure that it appears just as fine on the big screen, too.
The simplicity in the narrative is not lost, though. It shines through as the dubbing complements the animation rather than trying to compete with it.
The film combines elements of Japanese anime with Indian pictorial styles influenced by the art of Raja Ravi Varma.
Directed by Yugo Sako, Ram Mohan and Koichi Sasaki, the film stays true to the essence of Shri Ram’s character and story.
The directors have intentionally kept the narrative simple and unpretentious, which feels like a breath of fresh air in today’s era of overcomplicated storytelling.
