Last year saw the release of Adipurush (2023) based on the epic Ramayana. Next year, if all goes well, another film on this subject will be released, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol and Yash. And this year, too, audiences will be treated with a film version of Ramayana, that too, the one which is close to their hearts. As per trade sources, the much-loved anime film Ramayana: The Legend Of Prince Rama is all set to release in theatres this year.
A trade expert told Bollywood Hungama, “Ramayana: The Legend Of Prince Rama has been remastered in 4K by the makers. They felt that releasing the movie in cinemas could be a good idea as it never arrived on the big screen. Moreover, they keep getting a lot of love and positive comments on their social media handles. In fact, after Adipurush disappointed moviegoers, many on social media drew parallels with Ramayana: The Legend Of Prince Rama and shared its clips. This proves that it has a strong recall value and a cult following.”
The source further added, “The makers have begun talks with distributors to understand how wide the release should be and other such strategies.” When asked when the film will be released, the source replied, “The date has not been locked. But they are looking at releasing it either in September or October. A clearer picture will emerge in a few weeks.”
Ramayana: The Legend Of Prince Rama was a co-production between India and Japan and was directed by Koichi Sasaki, Ram Mohan and Yugo Sako. Originally in English, it was later dubbed in Hindi. The latter version was played on the popular kids’ channel Cartoon Network in 2002 as a weekly series and got a huge viewership.
Interestingly, Arun Govil, who played the role of Lord Rama in the classic TV show Ramayan, also voiced the character in Ramayana: The Legend Of Prince Rama. Amrish Puri meanwhile gave the voiceover for Ravana. Acclaimed music director Vanraj Bhatia composed its songs.
Another fascinating trivia was that an alternate English version was released in the USA. It was called Warrior Prince and The Prince of Light: The Legend Of Ramayana and Lord Rama was voiced by none other than Bryan Cranston of 'Breaking Bad' fame. Moreover, the narrator was James Earl Jones, who provided the voice for Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise.
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