Probably not since Baahubali has Indian cinema attempted to put its foot forward in such a grand fashion for the rest of the world, like Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is trying. The film is the costliest and grandest ever made on Indian shores. The first trailer – 4 minutes 10 seconds of it – wastes no time in showing you that. The grand scale, the dazzling visual effects, and that masterful score from the two maestros pull you in. But Ramayana has never been about the spectacle. It has always been about the connect you feel with the story, with the world, and with Lord Rama. There, this Ramayana trailer seemed to fall flat, as we saw stars on screens, not the Gods and demigods we grew up on. Ramayana trailer gets a lot right in its presentation, but sacrifices the core strength of Indian filmmaking – emotions.
What the Ramayana trailer gets right
The scale is the one thing you cannot ignore with the trailer of Ramayana Part One. Everything from Ravana’s ascent as the king of Lanka to shots of Lord Rama’s exile are some of the grandest ever filmed in Indian cinema. The VFX complements them. The visual effects show a marked improvement since the Rama glimpse that was released earlier this year. The battle sequences, particularly the shot of Airavata and Lord Indra falling, are spectacular, as are the designs of the daanavs and rakshasas. And then there is the Ramayana theme from Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman, which elevates the trailer to another plane. The one time I truly had goosebumps during the trailer was when the crescendo builds to ‘Dharti hai ambar hai..’ from the theme as Lord Rama vows to slay Ravana.
Among the cast, Yash exudes Ravana’s aura and charisma. Both as the renegade who usurps Lanka from Kubera and the almighty Lankesh, he looks the part. But the problem his that his voice does not carry the weight of the man who rules the three lokas. Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi and Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha were my other standout performers in the trailer, both leaving a mark despite limited screen time. I would have wanted to see more of Ravie Dubey’s Lakshman, too, or at least hear him speak here. I will reserve my judgment on Sai Pallavi’s Sita when I see more of her, but she does appear to fit the part, to say the least.
Where the trailer falters
But the biggest elephant in the room in this trailer, for me, is Ranbir Kapoor. He is a fine actor, probably the best of his generation from Hindi cinema. To take on the role of Lord Rama in a film of this scale, at this time, there is probably no other choice. But the problem is that throughout the trailer, I saw only Ranbir and not Rama. His dialogue delivery, which is otherwise standout, was very flat here. Some of the lines he gets here are to set the tone of the film, but they seemed to be coming from another of Ranbir’s characters and not from Lord Rama. That makes the suspension of disbelief harder.
Indian cinema has had a tricky relationship with trailers. For years, our trailers were just crunched versions of the film. But that changed in the 90s with films like Darr and Raja Hindustani, as filmmakers cut trailers to entice the audience. Of late, Animal and Dhurandhar did the same. But Ramayana doesn’t take the less-is-more approach. Instead, it chooses to spell out the plot. And while we are all familiar with the story, we would have liked to see some things for the first time in the theatre. It still hides the vanaras’ design, particularly Lord Hanuman’s, so there is something to look forward to. But I do fear that the film has already opened all its big cards.
The agni pariksha to come
I am hopeful, if not totally optimistic. I will admit that Ramayana is my most anticipated film of the year. I have been looking forward to it even more than a Dune Part Three or Avengers Doomsday (or King, closer to home). I really want this film to be good because its success can open doors for Indian cinema that have been shut for decades. But mere anticipation and hope cannot sustain a film. It needs substance. And I fear that may be lacking here.
For the sake of Ramayana and its makers, I hope the film is more than what the trailer shows. But come November, and Nitesh Tiwari, Namit Malhotra, and Ranbir Kapoor & co face their biggest agni pariksha. This film does not depend on what critics say. It is Ramayana. It needs to connect with the masses. Failing that, it may be relegated to the unsavoury chapters of history. Look up Om Raut and Adipurush if there’s any doubt on that claim.