Hanuman carrying the mountain. Pics Courtesy/ramayana-anime.net

This Sunday, Kasa Kai Mumbai will host a screening and discussion on the film. “It was a popular demand from fans. They wanted to watch the animated version to relive their childhood,” says Atharva Naik, community organiser. We speak to fans and an animator to understand what fuels this nostalgia. 

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On: July 16; 3 pm to 6 pm
At: Redbrick, Sahar road, Andheri East
Log on to: kasakaimumbai.com
Call: 7738681615
Cost: Rs 500

Fluidity and grace
Arindam Sen, 33, cloud engineer

I remember watching the film back in the early 2000s. It was very different from anything we had seen before. I still remember the sequence of Kumbhakarna’s son in a hand-to-hand-combat  sequence with Sugriva. I am not sure about the animation technique, but the fluidity of their movement was brilliant. It was a perfect example of how to handle an adaptation — packing in plenty of information without letting go of the important details of the plot. Even if someone has not read the story of Ramayana, this film can be an example.

The perfect adaptation
Nikhil Ravi Kumar, 29, CEO, cirqt.com

The standout factor is that it is an abridged adaptation. They have done it well — shortening the epic and adapting it to a different medium. The Ramayana has 1,000 iterations around the world. Yet, if you show this feature to anyone in the country, they will identify the story and accept it with ease. The other highlight is the hand-drawn animation that makes each character appear lifelike.

Great depth and technique
Yash Naik, 27, SEO engineer

I would say a large part of my understanding of the Ramayana is based on this film. For the team to come together over a complex epic and present it in such simple terms, without losing out on the  essence, was great work. It shows a deep and innate understanding of the story. The film has nostalgia. But it also carries emotions and a grace of narration that we miss in animation these days.

The peak of cell animation

Shetty with the late Ram Mohan 

When I started working with Ram Mohan sir, the film was already in post-production stage. I recollect seeing the artworks and huge layouts. It was a mammoth production, even by today’s standards. I would not classify it as anime at all. It was pure animation. He [Ram Mohan] brought Indian design sensibilities to the project, particularly to the characters. For him, every scene was a three-act play. You see those subplots — Hanuman, Sampati, Meghnad — treated in great detail. That is what made him a great storyteller. The cell animation was also painstakingly crafted. The feature has a 10-second-long-shot that focuses on a teardrop rolling down from Rama’s eyes. I was among the lucky few to attend the preview ahead of the release. The nuances of the monkeys and Ravana caught my eye. These nuances draw people to the film because you cannot see them in fast-editing patterns of animation today.

Tilak Shetty 55, director and CEO, Graphiti Studios