Hanu Raghavapudi’s period romance epic is full of heart, with support from Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur’s endearing turns. The 1960s provide the backdrop for the romance tale Sita Ramam.

About Sita Ramam

It’s a triumphant ode to the romantic adventure of a pair of doting. The film marked the debut of Mrunal Thakur, who had previously been seen in Jersey opposite Shahid Kapoor. Cast members of Sita Ramam include Rashmika Mandanna, director Gautham Vasudev Menon, Sumanth, Prakash Raj, and Bhumika Chawla.

The plot of Sita Ramam

Even though it is not improper to love your nation, the wise man encourages the young woman not to hold such animosity towards a neighbouring country. In another scene, she becomes frustrated when given a list of references and notices they are all members of the same church. Sita Ramam, directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, is about much more than romance. Hanu, Raj Kumar Kandamudi, and Jay Krishna’s story, screenplay, and dialogue all hinge on the premise that people are more important than politics, geography, and faith. We live in a time when debates between “them” and “us” threaten to dominate the discourse everywhere; thus, this principle is more important than ever.

Through flashbacks to 1964 and 1984, Sita Ramam reveals the truth about its protagonists, Sita Mahalakshmi (Mrunal Thakur’s Telugu film debut) and Lt Ram (Dulquer Salmaan). Afreen (Rashmika Mandanna), a student from Pakistan now living in London, travels to India after being instructed to deliver a letter to Sita written by Ram 20 years earlier. She enlists Balaji (Tharun Bhascker), a classmate from her time at university who lives in Hyderabad, to help her out.

Like Samantha and Vijay Deverakonda in “Mahanati,” these two protagonists strive to piece together a story from the past. Fortunately, Sita Ramam is a blank slate beyond these general similarities. While the voyage to Mahanati begins in a place of naiveté and the reporter’s desire to find a good story, it proves to be formative, causing the protagonist to develop empathy and to stop viewing others just through the lens of their religion or nationality.

The 1960s come across as something out of a dream. Lt. Ram is stationed on the cold terrains of Kashmir’s borders. A close friend (played by Shatru), a jealous officer (Sumanth’s Brigadier Vishnu Sharma), and a commanding officer (Major Selvan) make up his entire universe in the military (Gautham Menon). Journalist Rohini Molleti from All India Radio calls Ram a lone ranger and encourages her listeners to send him letters. A flood of letters arrives, including one from Sita, in which she reminds Ram that he isn’t an orphan and has a wife waiting for him at home.

Sita (Chinmayi, at the top of her dubbing game) is introduced to us through her voice. The Indian classical flourishes in the songs and the western-influenced humorous score in a few situations both fit the film’s retro aesthetic, composed by Vishal Chandrashekhar.

The inhospitable, frigid landscape is captured in all its splendour and eeriness by cinematographers P S Vinod and Shreyas Krishna. Aside from the beautiful scenery, they also show great skill in navigating the chilly interiors. Look at how Major Selvan is illuminated by the patterned walls before a mission as he addresses the soldiers.

From the moment Ram leaves on his trip to find Sita, the technical crew and the actors pull out all the stops to create a lovely, old-world romance that can leave an audience member speechless. When you first meet Sita, you might think she’s a throwback costume drama actress because she always looks flawless and wears dramatic winged eyeliner. When we finally learn who she is, the story’s protagonist’s regal bearing makes perfect sense. Sheetal Sharma’s costumes, Sunil Babu’s production design, and Vaishnavi Reddy and Faisal Khan’s art direction helped cement the eras of the 1960s and 1980s as iconic in popular culture.

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The Hindu deities Ram, Sita, and Hanuman, are all represented (Vennela Kishore as Durjoy, a theatre actor). However, the film springs a surprise at the halfway point that alters the course of the story.

Many of the story’s turns and climaxes are predictable. On occasion, the narrative stutters or tries too hard to be poetic. Take, for example, the “Kurukshetra-like” scenario in which Ram rescues Sita. Yet these are minor annoyances that rarely arise. The romance is still exciting and has the potential to hold your attention.

There is no sexism or objectification of women in writing. Mrunal’s first Telugu film allows her to portray a solid but weak character. She accomplishes it with grace and dignity while conveying the character’s inner turmoil.

Rashmika Mandanna’s performance in Sita Ramam is excellent. She is not merely objectified but allowed to play a character who is self-absorbed and has strong opinions, and she handles the role with confidence, proving that she is up for the challenge of acting in roles that are well-written.

Dulquer Salmaan’s charm is ideally at home in the role of Ram, and he brings all of it to bear in his portrayal. Tharun Bhascker’s performance as the supporting character, who uses a kind of Telugu spoken only in Hyderabad, is flawless.

It’s an extensive list, but it includes Sachin Khedekar, Sunil, Priyadarshi, Bhumika, Jisshu Sengupta, Prakash Raj, Praneeta Pattnaik, Rahul Ravindran, and many more for their brief appearances. Sumanth’s portrayal of an officer displaying his offensive side is believable.

The filmmakers’ vision for Sita Ramam as a timeless love story isn’t fully realized. But the sincerity with which they tell a touching love tale is what keeps the whole thing together. Possible names for the main characters include Ram, Sita, and Afreen. Modify the names and religions of the characters without altering the story’s central message. This is where the story’s beauty truly shines.

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