Recently, we reported about the announcement of a film based on Valmiki Ramayana, directed by Bhavna Datta Talwar from an adapted screenplay by Anand Neelakantan. The latest development about the project is that composer Ilaiyaraaja has joined it. Earlier this Sunday, the film's makers dropped a poster mentioning "a musical invocation by Ilaiyaraaja."
The legendary composer joins the previously announced technicians of the film, including cinematographer Binod Pradhan, production designer Sabu Cyril, and sound designer Resul Pookutty.
Valmiki Ramayana also has filmmaker and scholar Chandraprakash Dwivedi in the capacity of a creative consultant and dialogue writer.
An epic poem dating back to the 500–100 BCE period, Valmiki Ramayana has around 24,000 verses spread across seven books. It follows Sita's abduction by Ravana amidst Lord Ram's exile and her rescue by Ram and his allies.
The makers are yet to reveal cast specifics. Recently, they announced the film with a poster featuring Lord Ram's feet and a caption that reads, "As long as mountains stand and rivers flow, the Ramayana will live on." Back then, trade analyst Taran Adarsh described it as "a theatrical retelling of the timeless epic." The film is slated for an October 02 release in theatres.
Meanwhile, there are some more Ramayana adaptations at various stages of production in India. Prashanth Varma's Jai Hanuman stars Rishab Shetty in the lead role. Rishab is also producing it alongside Mythri Movie Makers. On the other hand, director Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana adaptation stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana, among others.