Seventh Season of Animated Series 'The Legend of Hanuman' Announced for OTT; Ravana's Finale Expected

While Nimit Malhotra is investing 40 billion rupees in creating a live-action version of Ramayana with Ranbir Kapoor, the trailer for the animated 'Ramayana: Path of Dharma' has recently been released. This project emerged against the backdrop of the recent release of 'Ramayana' featuring Anjali Arora, whose visuals received mixed reactions from viewers.

The animated series 'Ramayana: Path of Dharma' was presented by a studio named 'Path of Wonders'. The released trailer pertains to the first episode of this series. Although the plot is based on the classic Ramayana, it will be depicted from the perspective of modern youth.

The trailer begins with a child who, after reading the Ramayana, starts seeing the story of Lord Rama in his dreams and sets out to explore it. This is followed by a scene showing only the silhouettes of huge arms, legs, and the tail of Hanuman lifting the Sanjeevani mountain. Then, the image of Lord Rama preparing to leave his kingdom for the forest is demonstrated, as he intends to fulfill a promise made to his father.

Mata Sita and Lakshman also decide to accompany him. After this, a voiceover plays, narrating how he voluntarily left the throne, which slipped away like sand, but fully kept the vow made to his father.

'Ramayana: Path of Dharma' is voiced by many renowned Indian artists. As of now, the release date of the series has not been announced. However, viewers reacted to the trailer with great enthusiasm, considering this version significantly superior to the 'Ramayana' with Anjali Arora. Viewers liked both the musical score and the visuals. Many even noted that this project touched their hearts more than 'Ramayana' Ramananga Saagara.

After posting a critique of the approach to depicting characters from mythological stories in recent films, actress Kangana Ranaut has sparked rumors that she is commenting on the forthcoming film 'Ramayana' starring Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi.

On Friday, the actress and Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party shared a video clip from an old religious film. Along with this, she highly praised the way mythological plots were depicted in old cinema and criticized the use of modern clothing in recent films based on religious figures.

In her Instagram account, Kangana Ranaut wrote under the video: 'The more access people have to technology, the further they move away. We watch recent movies about God where characters who lived thousands of years ago are dressed in clothes resembling modern television series. It gives the impression that designers do not pay attention to the descriptions given in the scriptures. Whereas decades ago, without any visual effects or CGI, the masters of cinematography worked strictly according to the descriptions given in the scriptures. Look at the results, Jai Menaxi Amma.'

In her post, Kangana did not mention 'Ramayana' or any of its actors. However, after the release of the trailer for Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming 'Ramayana', when debates arose over the costumes and stylization of some characters, speculations began online based on her words.

Social media discussions revolve around the looks of Sai Pallavi as Sita and Laura Datta as Kaikeyi. Some users questioned the modern styling of the costumes, while others compared some looks to those shown in mythological TV shows.

Costume designers Rimple and Harpreet Narula commented on this criticism and explained the creative concept behind the film's costumes. They stated that these designs were created considering the cultural context, production needs, and the scale of the project, rather than aiming for an exact reproduction of any historical attire from the Ramayana period.

The designers also mentioned the difficulty of presenting this Indian epic to a global audience and viewers worldwide. These statements came amid ongoing discussions about character stylization, including Sita and Kaikeyi.

This is not the first time Kangana has voiced criticism related to 'Ramayana'. In 2023, she expressed disappointment that Ranbir Kapoor was chosen to play the role of Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari's film. At that time, Kangana made several personal accusations and criticized Kapoor's suitability for the role. She also questioned his acting abilities in the role of Lord Shiva in the 'Brahmastra' franchise.

Actress Anjali Arora, known as 'Kachcha Badam Girl', is preparing for her big screen debut in the epic film 'Shri Rama Katha', where she will play the role of Sita's Mother. The film is scheduled for release on September 25th. In this movie, actor Dev Sharma plays the role of Lord Rama, and he may receive his first major success.

A trailer for the film 'Shri Rama Katha' was recently presented. During the event, questions arose regarding Ranbir Kapoor's participation in the future Ramayana. Actor Dev Sharma shared information that he was offered the roles of Lakshmana in the films 'Adipurush' and Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, but ultimately declined them.

Dev explained that he was not selected for the final casting for two reasons. In one of the films, he was about two inches taller than the actor playing Rama, and in the second, his physique was similar to the physique of the actor playing Rama. These factors led to his non-selection, which caused him disappointment.

The actor also mentioned that he initially rejected the offer to star in the epic film 'Shri Rama Katha' because he did not wish to participate in Ramayana films or play the role of Lakshmana. However, he later decided that the role of Lord Rama was meant for him, and speculated that his refusal of previous offers for the role of Lakshmana had its own reason.

These revelations have drawn mixed reactions from the public. Many users disagreed with his statements, considering them fabricated. Others believe that Dev Sharma might have auditioned for the role of Lakshmana but was rejected.

As for the film 'Shri Rama Katha' itself, it is facing significant criticism from viewers. After watching the trailer, many noted poor visual effects (VFX) and weak acting. Viewers already consider the film a failure before its premiere, and it remains unknown whether Anjali Arora can make an impression in the role of Sita.