Director: Vijay Bhatt; Writer: Vishnupant Aundhkar; Cinematographer: P.G. Kukde; Editor: Pratap Dave; Cast: Shobhana Samarth, Yeshwant, Madhusudhan, V.D. Pandit, Amirbai Karnataki, Shantakumari, Ranjana, Leela Pawar, Baby Tara, Chandrakant Mandhre, Vinay Kale, Bandopant Sohoni, Kelkar, Baby Kamala (Laxman).
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.
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