Which adaptation, before Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, won hearts and which one confronted the Troll Brigade?

Since Nitesh Tiwari announced his bold plans for the Ramayana, one of India's beloved epics, the film industry has been buzzing with excitement. With hit films like Dangal and Chhichhore under his belt, Tiwari has set a high bar for his work. However, before diving into this revered story, it's essential to remember that the Ramayana has had a varied history in film and television; some adaptations received applause, while others faced criticism. Let's take a trip down memory lane to look at the adaptations that worked and those that are better left in the past.

The Ramayan of Ramanand Sagar
Discussing Ramayana adaptations without honoring the venerable Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan (1987–1988), a masterpiece that has permanently changed Indian popular culture is impossible. Viewed on Doordarshan, this series became a Sunday routine for Indian families and exposed generations to Lord Ram's trip. Arun Govil made Ram and Deepika Chikhalia household names when he portrayed Sita; even now, people respect them the same way they would revered historical individuals.

What made the Ramayan from Sagar so outstanding? First of all, it occurred during a period when India was only beginning to realize television might be a communal experience. The audience's sense of spirituality and respect of mythology connected with the slow-paced narrative, together with traditional music and modest visual effects. According to reports, streets would empty during its broadcast as people gathered to view nearly as though they were part of a religious gathering. Years later, Sagar's translation remains a standard in mythical narrative. Ramayan had unprecedented viewing when it was re-telecast during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, demonstrating that its popularity cuts across generations.

By 2010, the Ramayana narrative was ready for big screen action with Ramayana: The Epic, an animated film meant to revitalize the age-old narrative. Under Chetan Desai's direction, the movie was meant to be a contemporary, stylized recounting of Ram's life. The execution, meanwhile, fell short of audience expectations. The animation was attacked mostly for being excessively robotic and rigid, and the emotional depth people would have expected from a Ramayana rendition seemed oddly lacking.

Ramayana: The Epic battled character design, face expressions, and action scenes that left viewers disappointed even as it tried to give the narrative a cinematic gloss. Targeted mostly at a younger audience, the film was judged by adults as shallow and by youngsters too intense. It sank silently into obscurity as it lacked the emotional connection viewers yearned for even if it was a large financial outlay.

Another interpretation of the Ramayana swept the silver screen in 2010, but this one would divide viewers. With Abhishek Bachchan's character Raavan (played in the Hindi version), Mani Ratnam's Raavan in Hindi and Raavanan in Tamil offered a retelling of the epic whereby the protagonist was Ratnam's method explored morality, viewpoint, and righteousness, therefore presenting Raavan in a more sympathetic light. Bold, creative, and unreserved in its blurring of the conventional lines separating good from evil.

Raavan drew extreme trolling for deviating too far from the original narrative, even if other viewers praised the movie's fresh style and photography. Critics contended that although ambitious, Ratnam's rendition lacked the clarity and conviction viewers expected from a Ramayana-based narrative. Though it too stayed contentious, the Tamil adaptation Raavanan, starring Vikram, was better accepted, especially in the South Indian market. In the end, Raavan became among those movies that people either loved or loathed but never overlooked.

Om Raut's Adipurush, the most recent addition to Ramayana adaptations, created sky-high hopes but rapidly descended into a social media disaster. Adipurush sought to create a huge cinematic spectacle but was attacked for its visual effects, dialogues, and general portrayal of the legendary epic, starring Prabhas as Ram and Saif Ali Khan as Raavan. Targeting the film for its "cartoonish" CGI and cringeworthy phrases many believed did not adequately capture the grandeur of the narrative, netizens were not polite.

Adipurush disappointed viewers despite a big budget and a great cast, particularly considering the buzz around it. Meme fodder overnight arose from dialogues like "Marega bete" and a Raavan that seemed more like a villain from a fantasy game than a legendary character. The failure of the movie highlighted the difficulty updating mythology without compromising respect or quality.

Nitesh Tiwari's past work has people feeling both excited and cautious about his version of the Ramayana. The big question is whether he can please a generation that's quick to judge while still honouring the timeless essence of the tale. There's a lot on the line and high expectations as audiences look forward to this new interpretation. Not only does Tiwari need to create a story that's engaging, but he also has to pay tribute to the cherished traditions that viewers have loved for years.