Japanese-Indian anime film Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama is set to make its theatrical debut across India on October 18. The film, restored in 4K resolution, will be released on the big screen in Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu. Directed by Yugo Sako, Ram Mohan and Koichi Sasaki, the 1993 animated film became popular with Indian audiences upon its re-runs on TV channels in the early 2000s.
Veteran screenwriter K V Vijayendra Prasad, known for blockbusters such as the Baahubali franchise and RRR, has contributed his creative vision to this adaptation, according to a press release. Geek Pictures India, AA Films and Excel Entertainment will distribute the film across Indian cinema halls.
“The Ramayana in anime is a ground-breaking testament to the strength of Indo-Japan collaborations. This fresh, dynamic portrayal of the timeless legend of Ram will undoubtedly strike a chord with audiences across all regions and age groups, bringing this epic to life in a way that’s never been seen before,” Arjun Aggarwal, the co-founder of Geek Pictures India, said in a statement.
The film was first seen in India at the 24th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 1993. In the Hindi version, Ramayan TV series star Arun Govil voiced the character of Ram, Namrata Sawhney voice starred as Sita, and the late Amrish Puri lent his voice to Ravan, with veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha serving as narrator.
Composed by Vanraj Bhatia with lyrics penned by PK Mishra, ‘Shri Raghuvar Ki Vaanar Sena’, ‘Janani Main Ramdoot Hanuman’ and ‘Jai Lankeshwar’ were some of the popular songs from the film’s Hindi dubbed version.