On Singham Again release day, a look at contemporary films that explored Ramayana

The multi-star cast of Singham Again is one of its biggest draws, but Rohit Shetty’s incorporation of themes from Ramayana has sparked additional curiousity. It also stands true to the moment, given the nation is celebrating Diwali, a joyous festival to commemorate Ram and Sita’s arrival back home after defeating Ravana.
However, Milap Zaveri, one of the writers on the Ajay Devgn-starrer mentioned in an interview that the said theme was always a part of the film’s narrative, and not something to encash during Diwali. In an interview with Siddharth Kanan, Zaveri revealed that even when the film was initially slated for an August 15 release, the narrative had been crafted with Ramayana parallels in mind.
The film released today, November 1, in cinema halls, and we would soon get to know how Rohit Shetty has used Ramayana in his dramatic plot. In Singham Again, Ajay Devgn and Kareena Kapoor Khan portray characters inspired by Ram and Sita, while Arjun Kapoor takes on a Raavan-like role for the antagonist. Tiger Shroff’s character channels Laxman, Ranveer Singh’s Simmba is a nod to Hanuman, and Akshay Kumar’s character draws from Garuda, the bird who aided Ram and Laxman in battle. Deepika Padukone’s character, Shakti Shetty, remains somewhat of a mystery as of now.
If this mythological twist in a contemporary setting has piqued your interest, here’s a look at several other films that have also woven Ramayana themes into their narratives.

From the unabated bond between stepbrothers to the eldest one going to exile, Sooraj Barjatya’s Hum Saath Saath Hain drew major inspiration from the Hindu epic. Apart from the plot, the film even used multiple verses (shlokas) from Ramayana to lead the narrative. Starring Salman Khan, Mohnish Bahl, Saif Ali Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Sonali Bendre and Tabu, among others, the film is still considered one of the best family dramas.

Probably for the first time, the story of Ramayana was retold from the perspective of Ravana. Celebrated filmmaker Mani Ratnam simultaneously released Raavan in Hindi and Raavanan in Tamil. It tells the story of how a naxalite kidnaps the wife of a cop, deployed in his region. However, as the story progresses, it makes you see beyond the good and bad, defined by society.
Some riveting performances, stunning cinematography, and the unconventional take makes the film stand out. While Vikram played the character of antagonist Veera in the Tamil version, Abhishek Bachchan reprised the role in the Hindi film. Interestingly, Vikram played the lead Dev in the Hindi film, with actor Prithviraj taking the same role for the regional film. Aishwarya Rai, however, was retained in both films.

Not many realised that SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali was also inspired by Ramayana. The second part of the film had a plotline revolving around Baahubali and Devasena being banished from the kingdom. During the trailer launch of the film, director Rajamouli even told the media, “All my movies are inspired by Mahabharata and Ramayana because those are two epics that have been fed to me right from my childhood. I get my emotional connect from those epics.”

And rightly so, when he helmed RRR, the story and characters were heavily inspired by the mythological tale. From Ram Charan’s portrayal resembled Lord Rama while Alia Bhatt’s part reminded everyone of Sita. Jr NTR’s role was influenced by Hanuman, in its physical aspect and his loyalty towards Ram.
Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again released in theatres today, November 1, and features an ensemble cast of djay Devgn, Deepika PAdukone, Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff, Arjun Kapoor, and others.