• The author tells how Ramayana is to be lived and is more than just a movie. Look at the learnings more than judging for acting and dialogues.  

I did not go to judge Ramayana as a film or look for faults in acting, direction or dialogue. I went with an open mind and an open heart, to experience Ram.

Truly, the movie touched me. It was darshan, not just cinema.

The dignity of Ram, the pain of exile, the silence of Sita and the devotion of Jatayu felt incredibly real. I felt that Rishi Valmiki was whispering the story into my ears, and I was sitting in the forests of Chitrakoot, witnessing it unfold.

The 3D was not merely an effect; it was an experience. I felt immersed in the world of Ramayana. The trees, rivers, birds and even the dust in the air seemed alive.

The cinematography was extraordinary. Every frame looked like a painting from our ancient manuscripts brought to life. The light in the forest, the compassion in Ram's eyes and Jatayu's flight with broken wings but unbroken devotion were breathtaking. There was beauty, grace and reverence.

It is natural that every individual will appreciate or criticize a film according to their own perspective, experiences and inner disposition. Devotion is voluntary and appreciation cannot be demanded.

Yet, even those who come only to enjoy the cinema and its visual effects may carry something precious home. The name of Ram may enter their ears, His form their eyes and perhaps His values their hearts. Even an incidental remembrance of Bhagavan is considered spiritually meaningful in our traditions.

Visually, the CGI was world class. The climax depicting Jatayu fighting Ravana was, among the finest visual effects sequences I have experienced in cinema.

It was actually much more than a spectacular fight. It was Dharma standing against Adharma. An ageing bird fought for Sita Maa, knowing that death was almost certain, yet refusing to surrender. That is courage. That is devotion. That is sacrifice.

Jatayu teaches us something profound: we do not need to be powerful to stand for Dharma. We only need the courage to do what is right. Sometimes victory may be impossible, but surrendering our values must never be an option.

Jatayu Earth Centre i.e. close to Trivandrum, Kerala. Pic by Ankur Gupta. 

For me, Ramayana is not a story to be debated. It is a truth to be experienced. It is not just Itihasa; it is also an inner journey, unfolding within us every day.

Ram and Ravana are not merely outside us; they represent forces within us.

Ram represents purity, compassion, patience, maryada and unwavering commitment to Dharma. He relinquished His kingdom and accepted fourteen years of exile without allowing bitterness to enter His heart. His inner strength remained untouched despite every external hardship.

Ram Lalla, Ayodhya.

Ravana, on the other hand, was no ordinary king. Born to the sage Vishrava, he possessed extraordinary strength, ambition, knowledge and powers acquired through intense tapasya. In our later Puranic and devotional traditions, he is also remembered as a great devotee of Lord Shiva, particularly through the celebrated story of his encounter with Shiva at Mount Kailasa.

Cave 29 Ellora. Siva and Parvati sitting on Mount Kailash with Ravana trying to shake the holy mountain.

According to the Uttara Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, Ravana performed severe austerities to please Brahma, who granted him a boon protecting him from various powerful celestial and supernatural beings. Ravana considered human beings insignificant and did not seek protection against them. That very arrogance became the opening through which his downfall came.

Bhagavan did not violate the boon. He manifested as a human being, as Ram, to fulfil the divine purpose of restoring Dharma.

But perhaps Ravana's greatest tragedy was not that he lacked knowledge or power. It was that his extraordinary abilities did not lead him to conquer his own ego. He possessed immense strength, ambition and learning, yet could not control his desires. He refused to listen to wise counsel and allowed his pride to overpower his discrimination.

This is one of the greatest lessons of the Ramayana: knowledge without humility can become another form of ego. Tapasya without self-mastery can become another form of pride. Even devotion and extraordinary powers cannot justify Adharma.

Ravana mastered many things, but failed to master himself. Ram, on the other hand, demonstrated that true greatness lies in self-control, humility, compassion and unwavering commitment to Dharma.

At an inner, symbolic level, the ten heads of Ravana can be understood as the many desires and negative tendencies that pull us away from our higher nature — Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya. Whenever ego, anger, greed and attachment dominate us, Ravana rises within. Whenever patience, truth, compassion and Dharma guide our actions, Ram shines within us.

The real Ramayana, therefore, is not merely a war in Lanka. It is the struggle within our own minds.

Inside Gupt Godavari Cave, Chitrakoot i.e. associated with Ramayana. 

Let us go deeper now.

At the deepest level of Advaita Vedanta, beyond Nama and Rupa (name and form), the ultimate Reality is Brahman — Sat-Chit-Ananda, pure Existence, pure Consciousness and pure Bliss.

In this contemplation, Ram becomes a doorway to that eternal Truth. The journey begins with loving Ram as Bhagavan, deepens through understanding His Dharma and leads to the realization of the One Reality.

Ravana represents the ego and the personality traits that bind us. Ram represents the light of Truth that shines when these limitations dissolve.

When we watch with ego, we find faults. When we watch with Bhakti, we find Ram. When we contemplate with Jnana, we begin to recognise that our true nature is not the limited ego or personality, but the eternal Atman, which, according to Advaita, is none other than Brahman.

Aham Brahmasmi — I am Brahman.

This does not mean that our ego is God. It means that when ignorance and identification with the limited self-dissolve the eternal Truth is realised.

That is the real Vijayadashami. That is the real Diwali. That is the real Ramayana.

This film is a mirror. It gives us an opportunity to look within.

Beyond discussing the VFX, acting or direction, let us take something deeper home. Sit in silence for five minutes and ask one honest question:

Today, who is winning inside me — Ram or Ravana?

When we forgive someone who has hurt us, Ram wins. When we control our anger, Ram wins. When we choose Dharma over convenience, Ram wins.

We begin the journey by seeking Ram. We continue by living like Ram. And through Jnana, we discover the eternal Truth that was never separate from us.

Ramayana is meant to be lived every day and is more than just a film.

When the ego dissolves, the Ram within is revealed.

Jai Shri Ram!

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