HARSH TRUTH About the New Ramayana Movie

Trailer and Scope

The group watches the trailer for the upcoming Ramayana and credits it as an ambitious effort to introduce the epic to a wider audience. The host says members of the film team had watched their earlier episodes. The guests note, however, that a movie can cover only so much, and that the epic’s many layers may be better suited to a series.

They also question the trailer’s apparent historical dating. Their view places the events much earlier, around 12,000 BC, and they wonder why filmmakers would leave the era vague rather than use the closest defensible date.

Historical Texture

Much of their critique focuses on the film’s historical details. They question whether cotton clothing is supported by the text, suggesting wool and kusha-based materials instead. They also argue that ancient settings should not automatically resemble familiar palace-and-gold fantasy.

The group notes that color terms such as kanchana may describe a hue rather than prove that an object was made of gold. They point to pigments such as ochre and charcoal as possible ways to imagine the period. More broadly, they want the film to pay closer attention to the landscapes, materials, clothing, and cultures of deep antiquity.

Hanuman’s Mace

In a lighter moment, the group claims that Hanuman is not described as carrying a mace in the Ramayana. The host wonders whether the familiar weapon became associated with him later because Bhima, who is also a son of Vayu, carries one. They joke that the mace was “passed on,” or that this was “reverse engineering.”

Parashurama, Ravana, and Vali

The conversation turns to Parashurama as a figure who hands the role of restoring order to Rama. The group then challenges the idea that Ravana was invincible, citing accounts in which he was defeated by Kartavirya and Vali. They also recall Vali’s boast that he could have brought Sita back himself.

They conclude by noting that Ravana is honored in parts of Bastar, where his effigy is not burned during Dussehra.

People Mentioned

• Ranveer Allahbadia
• Nilesh Oak
• Rupa Bhaty