Director: Vijay Bhatt; Writer: Sampatlal Srivastava 'Anuj'; Cinematographer: P.G. Kukde; Editor: Pratap Dave; Cast: Prem Adib, Shobhana Samarth, Umakant Desai, G. Badriprasad, Yeshwant, Madhusudan, V.D. Pandit, Amirbai Karnataki, Shantakumari, Ranjan, Leela Pawar, Baby Tara, Pande, Bahadur
Duration: 02:27:31; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 23.146; Saturation: 0.069; Lightness: 0.305; Volume: 0.207; Cuts per Minute: 11.998
Summary: Bhatt’s best-known and most successful Ramayana musical. Rama (Adib/Chandrakant) triumphantly returns from exile having conquered Lanka and rescued Seeta (Samarth), but a washerwoman queries whether Seeta remained chaste during her captivity. To allay suspicions, Rama sends Seeta into the forest where, under the care of Valmiki, she gives birth to twin boys. Later, Rama launches the Ashwamedha Yagna ritual: a horse is let loose as an open challenge for anyone to stop it and do battle with the king. The two adolescent boys, thanks to Valmiki’s teachings, succeed in the challenge. The big-budget art direction was a classic contribution by neo-classical kitsch artist Kanu Desai. The final battle with fire spewing magical arrows was the film’s highlight. The Marathi version contains the hit song Ladakya ranila lagale dohale.
Following Bhagwan Shri Ram's 14 year exile, whereby he demolishes the evil empire of Lord Ravan, rescues his wife, Sita, and returns triumphantly home to Ayodhya to be crowned the King. Bhagwan Ram arranges for Sita to be placed on top a funeral pyre, and when she comes out unscathed with the Lord of Fire himself appearing and asking Bhagwan Ram to take Sita back as she is pure, and her presence has not only purified Ayodhya, but also Sri Lanka, as well as himself. Thus satiated, Ram and Sita return to Ayodhya, but not for long as the people, especially a washer-man (Dhobi) demands that Sita be expelled from the kingdom, as the people would like him to ask his wife to leave Ayodhya as she has spent several days and nights away from husband, and has thus maligned herself. Bhagwan Ram gives way to the demands of his people, and expels Sita, who then goes to reside with Lord Valmiki, calls herself Vandevi, and gives birth to twins - Luv and Kush. In the meantime, Valmiki has finished writing the Holy Book Ramayan, and ensures that the twins read and understand this, which they do. Then when Bhagwan Ram announces a Aswamedha Yagna (to expand Ayodhya's boundaries by letting a horse run through different kingdoms, and whosoever stops the horse, challenges Bhagwan Ram and his armies). When Vandevi hears of this, she is shocked as this Yagna can only be performed by a ruler with his wife at his side, is it that Bhagwan Ram is getting married again? Before she could find any answers to this question, she is told that her sons have stopped the horse from Ayodhya - and are ready to do battle with the powerful armies of Ayodhya.
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