Bhawana Somaaya

A few weeks ago we witnessed the retelling of Mahabharata against a political backdrop in Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti. This week the audience can feat their eyes on a retelling of Ramayana in Mani Ratnam’s cop- criminal story Raavan.

Some characters and circumstances bear similarity with the epic, some alter dramatically.

The legend has it that Ram and Sita first met in a temple before he officially won her hand in a swayamvar. Dev and Ragini are introduced as a well adjusted couple. He is a feared cop and she a classical dance teacher.

In the epic Ram is sent to exile due to family feud. In the film Dev is posted to a secluded tribal region Lalmati because he is the most courageous in the department.

Sita was lured by by Raavan sent golden deer. Ragini is attracted to a fluttering falcon sent by Beera.

Raavan declared war with Ram to avenge a personal grouse- he wanted justice for his sister Supanakha humiliated by Laksman. Beera challenges Dev to seek justice for his sister abused by Dev’s police department.

What is interesting are the innumerable revisions:

Mani Ratnam’s Lakshman does not stretch a boundary for his sister-in-law. Nor does Ragini drop her ornaments on her way to her captive for her consort to trail her. She is confident he will find her irrespectively.

Sanjevani alias Hanuman leads his hero to the devil’s gate. He visits Ragini as Dev’s messenger but this Sita does not demand a ring for evidence, she trusts him.

This Hanuman does not destroy the dense forests into flames. He recommends peace and Beera trusts him, sends his brother for negotiation with Dev. Unlike Ram who takes Vibhishan under his wing, Dev deceives his enemy and makes Beera further angry.

Dev Pratap Singh demands an agni pariksha out of Ragini as well- in this case interpreted as Polygraph Test- but Ragini refuses the trial by the fire and that is the high point of the film. She will not seek shelter in any ashram instead returns to Raavan to seek answers.

Ratnam’s Ramayan professes that there is a Ram in every Raavan and a Raavan in every Ram. It rewrites history and reinterprets justice and morality.

There are some films you watch for the story and the surprises they unfold and some for the treatment and the interpretations. Clearly Raavan falls into the latter. The film is a triumph of the entire technician team- Santosh Sivan’s breathtaking visuals, Shyam Kaushal’s dare-devil actions, unforgettable sound, Samir Chanda’s art design, actor Shobhana’s erotic choreography, Gulzar’s robust lyrics and AR Rahman’s haunting music.

Understandably the film has many flaws- the paper thin story line, the never ending climax, gruesome violence, low emotion quotient. Some out of place dialogue like when Vikram asks a battered assistant if he is okay. It’s obvious he isn’t. Some places Aishwarya looks over made up and some sequences like the wedding celebration appear exaggerated. But every frame is so beautiful that you forgive these indulgences. You forgive that there is little drama and conflict, little to cry and laugh.

Govinda as the acrobatic assistant is refreshing. Abhishek cleverly portrays the larger than life character with his booming voice and body language. Aishwarya Rai as Sita is fiery and passionate, reckless and irresistible. It is brave of the cast and the crew to weather such excruciating climate and locations. The final hero of the film is of course the director. Ratnam for combines so many talents and takes his audience uncomfortably close to the camera.

Raavan is Ratnam’s most difficult and demanding film to date and also most progressive.
Raavan rewrites history and introduces us to a new age Sita who is self reliant and fearless and just for that he deserves applause.

Bhawana Somaaya
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