sita ramam movie review in malayalam

• Samayam News
• മീനാക്ഷി ദിലീപ്
• കാർത്തിക് സൂര്യ
• malayalam News
• malayalam cinema
• movie review
• Dulquer Salmaan Rashmika Mandanna Mrunal Thakur Starrer Sita Ramam Movie Review In Malayalam

ഫിലിം റിവ്യൂ

ക്രിട്ടിക്സ് റേറ്റിങ്

വായനക്കാരുടെ റേറ്റിങ്, സിനിമ റേറ്റ് ചെയ്യാനായി സ്ലൈഡ് ചെയ്യൂ, recommended news.

മൂവി റിവ്യൂ

• WEB STORIES New
• ENTERTAINMENT
• CAREER & CAMPUS
• INFOGRAPHICS
• Paris 2024 Olympics

• Manorama Online
• Manorama News TV
• ManoramaMAX
• Radio Mango
• Subscription

• Entertainment

DQ's 'Sita Ramam' is a heartfelt romantic tale | Movie Review

Love blooms in the most unexpected places and sometimes even in the most unusual ways. In 'Sita Ramam', it flourishes on a snow-filled battlefield, with only roaring guns and the loneliness of war for company.

Lieutenant Ram is a soldier with a strong sense of moral duty. In conflict-ridden Kashmir, he becomes a hero after he saves a couple of civilians caught in religious animosity.

Into his life comes an unexpected visitor who starts writing letters to her 'husband'. Ram, who is an orphan, is touched by her passion. Soon, he responds and they start teasing each other through letters. Thus begins Ram's search for his Sita Mahalekshmi, played by Mrunal Thakur.

Dulquer-Mrunal starrer 'Sita Ramam' promises a magical love story

I'm a bit tired of being called a romantic hero: Dulquer Salmaan

While their cute romantic story unfolds, we are drawn into the real conflict in the story -- the distrust and hatred between Indians and Pakistanis. Though this theme may not be new to Indians, it's fun to see how the director Hanu Raghavapudi has carefully attempted to blend various aspects in the movie.

Though romantic dramas are not the flavour of the season ( except for 'Ante Sundariniki' in Telugu and 'Hridayam' in Malayalam we have hardly had movies from this genre), it doesn't hurt to watch a few good ones now and then.

Hanu Raghavapudi has attempted to ensure that this love story doesn't get too cliched by adding an element of mystery to the couple's relationship. The tension in the war zone and the proximity of certain situations in the movie to history add to the intrigue in 'Sita Ramam'.

Though Dulquer comes blazing in the movie, his character is quite plain. He is the stereotypical hero- the good-hearted soldier, whose patriotism knows no bounds. He is also the lover who has all the qualities that will make women swoon.

Of course, the movie is not his best, but DQ once again proves how good he is at playing romantic hero roles. That he might choose not to play them anymore would be a big loss to the South Indian industry, for sure.

The excellent chemistry he shares with Mrunal makes for a good watch. The Bollywood actress, who made her Telugu debut in the movie, has an eloquent grace which wafts throughout the movie. Her dialogue delivery and the emotions she portrays as a soldier's lover are striking.

Rashmika Mandanna, who is considered to be the nation's latest crush, has enacted her role sincerely and convincingly. Gautham Menon, Sumanth, Vennela Kishore and the rest of the cast also play their parts well. Beautiful visuals combined with the gentle music, sets the mood for the story.

Though the story is overall interesting, certain aspects drag it, like its duration.The director seems to have stretched it a bit too long. This could have been prevented if he chose not to linger around the romance for long, and instead moved quickly into the sub-plots.

• Movie Review
• Entertainment News
• Dulquer Salmaan
• Rashmika Mandanna

'Footage' movie review | Manju Warrier, Saiju Sreedharan's film is well executed

'Vaazha': Fathers and children try to understand each other in this slice-of-life comedy | Review

'Manorathangal' Series Review | A collection of 9 films each different from the rest

Kadalkkaattu: Lame presentation of a beautiful story

'Thangalaan': Stunning visuals and social commentary, yet missing the emotional core | Movie Review

An eccentric Basil Joseph stars in a fun Jeethu Joseph film | ‘Nunakuzhi' movie review

‘Abhayam Thedi Veendum:' Powerful frames dominate this Santhosh Sivan film, which falls short in narrative | 'Manorathangal' Series Review

'Kazhcha’: This Parvathy starrer examines societal stigma and personal triumph in the wake of a broken marriage | 'Manorathangal' series review

Jayaraj's 'Swargam Thurakkunna Samayam': A slow-paced meditation on death and duty | 'Manorathangal' series review

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

An orphan soldier, Lieutenant Ram's life changes, after he gets a letter from a girl named Sita. He meets her and love blossoms between them. When he comes back to his camp in Kashmir,After ... Read all An orphan soldier, Lieutenant Ram's life changes, after he gets a letter from a girl named Sita. He meets her and love blossoms between them. When he comes back to his camp in Kashmir,After he gets caught in jail, he sends a letter to Sita which won't reach her. An orphan soldier, Lieutenant Ram's life changes, after he gets a letter from a girl named Sita. He meets her and love blossoms between them. When he comes back to his camp in Kashmir,After he gets caught in jail, he sends a letter to Sita which won't reach her.

• Hanu Raghavapudi
• Jay Krishna
• Raj Kumar Kandamudi
• Dulquer Salmaan
• Mrunal Thakur
• Rashmika Mandanna
• 702 User reviews
• 7 Critic reviews
• 11 wins & 24 nominations

Top cast 49

• Sita Mahalakshmi …

• Afreen Ali …

• Capt. Vishnu Sharma
• (as Sumanth Yarlagadda)

• Vaidehi Sharma

• Maj. Abu Tariq Ali

• Akbar - Noor Jahan's Brother

• Akbar's Wife
• Lieut. Vikas Varma

• Maj. Selvan

• Durjaya Sharma

• Subramaniam

• Mohd. Musa Khan - Pakistani General

• Brig. YK Joshi

• Anand Mehta

• Pakistan Lawyer
• Rekha Bharadwaj - Noor Jahan's Friend
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Best of 2022: Top 10 Most Popular Indian Movies

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Hanu Raghavpudi, the director of the film, got the idea for the film when he bought a book that had an unopened inland letter. Regarding the same, he told The Hindu, "The letter I found in that book, in 2007, was from a mother to her son. I gathered that their family is from Vijayawada and the son is living in a hostel. She had enquired about his well being and asked when he would be home. It got me thinking, what if the contents of the letter had something crucial that could change the course of events?". Army backdrop was later included in the story as suggested by Rajkumar Kandamudi.
• Goofs As per Ram's letter he knows that Sita is princess Noorjahan. If he addressed the letter to the Princess, it would have reached Sita without any delay.

Anand Mehta : There is only one solution for your rage, your hatred, and your violence. And that is love.

• Soundtracks Oh Sita Hey Rama (Telugu) Music by Vishal Chandrashekhar Lyrics by Anantha Sriram Performed by S.P.B. Charan , Ramya Behra

User reviews 702

• ganeshprabu_r
• Aug 4, 2022
• How long is Sita Ramam? Powered by Alexa
• August 5, 2022 (India)
• Modhera Sun Temple, Modhera, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
• Swapna Cinema
• Vyjayanthi Movies
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• ₹3,000,000 (estimated)

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 43 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Atmos

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

• തമിഴ് സിനിമ
• തെലുഗു സിനിമ

• Click on the Menu icon of the browser, it opens up a list of options.
• Click on the “Options ”, it opens up the settings page,
• Here click on the “Privacy & Security” options listed on the left hand side of the page.
• Scroll down the page to the “Permission” section .
• Here click on the “Settings” tab of the Notification option.
• A pop up will open with all listed sites, select the option “ALLOW“, for the respective site under the status head to allow the notification.
• Once the changes is done, click on the “Save Changes” option to save the changes.
• ടോപ് ലിസ്റ്റിങ്ങ്‌
• പുതിയ റിലീസുകള്‍
• സമീപകാല ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍

• asianetnews.com 0/5 പ്രൊഡക്ഷൻ ക്വാളിറ്റിയില്‍ ഒട്ടും വിട്ടുവീഴ്‍ച ചെയ്യാതെയാണ് 'സീതാ രാമ'ത്തെ സ്‍ക്രീനില്‍ എത്തിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. പഴയൊരു കാലഘട്ടത്തിലെ കഥ പറയുന്ന ചിത്രം അതീവ ദൃശ്യമികവോടെയാണ് അവതരിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നത്.

• Movies In Theatres

മൂവി ഇന്‍ സ്‌പോട്ട് ലൈറ്റ്

സെലിബ്രേറ്റി ഇന്‍ സ്‌പോട്‌ലൈറ്റ്

• മൂവി ഇന്‍ സ്‌പോട്ട്‌ലൈറ്റ്‌

• പോപ്പുലര്‍ സെലിബ്രറ്റിസ്

• Don't Block
• Block for 8 hours
• Block for 12 hours
• Block for 24 hours
• Dont send alerts during 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am to 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am

• Entertainment
• Life & Style

To enjoy additional benefits

CONNECT WITH US

‘Sita Ramam’ movie review: A poignant love story

Hanu raghavapudi’s old-world romance saga brims with earnestness and is helped by charming performances from dulquer salmaan and mrunal thakur.

August 05, 2022 04:06 pm | Updated 05:38 pm IST

Mrunal Thakur and Dulquer Salmaan in ‘Sita Ramam’

It is not wrong to love your country, but you don’t need to harbour such hatred for a neighbouring country, a wise man tells a young woman in the film. In another scene, when she is given a few references, with all the names pertaining to one religion, she asks in exasperation if there isn’t anyone from her community. Director Hanu Raghavapudi’s Sita Ramam is a lot more than just a love story. The story, screenplay and dialogues by Hanu, Raj Kumar Kandamudi and Jay Krishna ride on the idea that humanity matters more than war, boundaries and religion. The idea is ever relevant especially in times when  discussions of ‘them’ and ‘us’ threaten to take over the discourse all around us.

Sita Ramam unravels the mystery surrounding its title characters, Sita Mahalakshmi (Mrunal Thakur’s debut in Telugu cinema) and Lt Ram (Dulquer Salmaan) through two timelines — 1964 and 1984. Afreen (Rashmika Mandanna), a Pakistan-origin student arrives in India from London, when she is tasked with tracing Sita to hand over a 20-year-letter written to her by Ram. She takes the help of her college senior Balaji (Tharun Bhascker), who is now in Hyderabad. 

There is the unmistakable Mahanati hangover in these two characters trying to piece together a story from the past, like Samantha and Vijay Deverakonda. Beyond this broad similarity, thankfully Sita Ramam is a wholly new canvas. The discovery in Mahanati begins from a space of ignorance and the reporter’s need to find a good story while here, the journey proves to be transformative and makes a character empathetic and shed preconceived notions of looking at people through the lens of religion and nationality. 

The 1960s are presented like a dream. Posted on the borders of Kashmir on the snowy terrains is Lt Ram. His fellow soldiers are his world; there is a dear friend (played by Shatru), a jealous officer (Sumanth as Brigadier Vishnu Sharma) and a commanding officer Major Selvan (Gautham Menon). An All India Radio journalist (Rohini Molleti) terms Ram a lone ranger and requests listeners to write to him. Letters pour in, Including one from Sita who chides Ram for forgetting that he has a wife back home and that he isn’t an orphan. 

We hear Sita (Chinmayi excelling at her dubbing game) much before we see her. Vishal Chandrashekhar’s music taps into the retro mood for both the Indian classical flourishes in the songs as well as the western-influenced playful score in a few scenes.  

Cinematographers P S Vinod and Shreyaas Krishna present the hostile, icy terrain in all its glory and eeriness. The breathtaking landscapes apart, they navigate the cold interiors artistically. For instance, observe how the light streams in through the patterned walls when Major Selvan is addressing soldiers before a mission.

The effort to make the romance appear poetic is evident from the time Ram embarks on a journey to meet Sita; the technical team and the actors pull all stops to present a charming, old world romance that can sweep someone off their feet. At first glance, Sita might come across like a character from a costume drama of the past, turned out in her best at all times, with  winged eyeliner to boot. As the story progresses and we know her for who she is, the regal demeanour seems all the more appropriate. 

Costumes by Sheetal Sharma, production design by Sunil Babu, art direction by Vaishnavi Reddy and Faisal Khan, contribute to defining both the 1960s and the 80s.

There’s Ram, Sita and a Hanuman (Vennela Kishore as Durjoy, a theatre actor). But the film pulls a surprise at the intermission point that changes everything thereafter. 

Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Mrunal Thakur, Rashmika Mandanna, Tharun Bhascker, Sumanth

Direction: hanu raghavapudi, music: vishal chandrashekhar.

Certain beats of the story and some of the twists can be foreseen. Occasionally the narrative wavers or tries too hard to make the story appear poetic. The ‘kurukshetra’-like situation (sic) in which Ram saves Sita, for instance. But these are occasional niggles. The romance remains absorbing and can keep you invested. 

The writing does not use its female characters as props. In her first Telugu film, Mrunal gets to play a character that is powerful and yet vulnerable. She does it with a lot of poise and conveys the emotional upheavals. 

Sita Ramam is among Rashmika Mandanna’s better films. She is not presented as an eye candy and given the scope to play a self-centred character with preconceived notions, she plays it sure-footedly and shows that she is game to take on well-written parts. 

Ram is a character that seems tailormade for Dulquer Salmaan and he channels all his charm to portray it with grace and innocence. Tharun Bhascker is effortless in the supportive part that speaks a distinct Hyderabadi Telugu. 

Several others make their presence felt in brief parts — Sachin Khedekar, Sunil, Priyadarshi, Bhumika, Jisshu Sengupta, Prakash Raj, Praneeta Pattnaik, Rahul Ravindran… the list is long. Sumanth is convincing as an officer showing his mean streak.

Not everything about Sita Ramam works to the extent of making it a classic love story the makers wanted it to be. Yet, the earnestness with which they attempt to narrate a moving story of romance holds it all together. The key characters may be called Ram, Sita and Afreen. Change their names and religion but the essence of what the story conveys will still hold true. Therein lies the beauty of the tale.

Related Topics

Telangana / Indian cinema / Telugu cinema / reviews

Top News Today

• Access 10 free stories every month
• Save stories to read later
• Access to comment on every story
• Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
• Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products

Terms & conditions   |   Institutional Subscriber

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Sita Ramam (2022) Movie Review – A simple tale of love that suffers the consequence of destiny

An emotional tale of two star-crossed lovers

Romance has become inorganic in the present day which is why there is hardly any authentic present-time storytelling that tugs at your heartstrings. Bringing calm to the storm in people’s hearts about romantic movies comes Sita Ramam, a simple and emotional love story.

Sita Ramam stars Dulquer Salmaan, the it-boy of the Indian Entertainment Industry as the main lead. Alongside we see Mrunal Thakur and Rashmika Madanna in a story that narrates a simple yet complicated love story of Sita, Ram, and a little girl who changed the lives of these two star-crossed lovers.

Sita Ramam tells the story of Ram, an orphan soldier who is doing his duty and serving the country to the best of his ability. After it becomes national knowledge that Ram has no one who writes letters to him, the soldier starts getting letters from all around the world. Overwhelmed by his new-found family members, Ram religiously responds to all letters but one.

Among the many letters, he has received is one from Sita, a woman who claims to be Ram’s wife. With no return address in the consistent letters, Ram writes his responses to Sita with the goal of finding her someday and delivering them to her himself.

Meanwhile, 20 years later, a young and bratty Pakistani girl named Afreen is tasked with the responsibility to deliver one letter from Ram to Sita in India. Monetarily motivated, she sets out on a mission to deliver the letter to Sita.

However, throughout the journey, Afreen discovers her key role in the love story of Ram and Sita and how she changed the fate of multiple lives around her. The story of Sita Ramam is not larger than life or overwhelming with intricate twists and turns. It is the simple story of a simple man who really wanted and deserved love.

When he found that love in a young girl, he went for her in all honesty. Sita’s secrets were her own to keep but after living around with Ram and his ever-so-selfless being, she realises what kind of person he is. The story starts off slowly, perhaps too slowly for the liking of many but eventually picks up pace.

Mrunal Thakur as Sita is very graceful and floaty but it was a bold and bratty Afreen (played by Rashmika Madanna) getting her perfect redemption arc by the end of the movie was what made it for me. The character of Vishnu (played by Sumanth) has to confuse the viewers and it seems to do the trick as his true motives are left concealed until the very end of the movie.

Being a Dulquer Salmaan fan, there is absolutely nothing wrong I can find in his portrayal of Ram, a simple, righteous and honest soldier. Ram is a man with no flaws and that is perhaps his biggest weakness.

The movie moves various settings and the scenes in Kashmir make you want to travel to the warfare state. The movie takes its time with many of the romantic moments between Sita and Ram but the story falls a bit short when it comes to the intense war scenes between the soldiers and the “terrorists”.

Having the Indian Army win always is a rich choice for the makers keeping in mind that the main theme of the movie is romance. However, a lit more realistic storyline would have been way more interesting. The movie has a melodious OST, one that resonates with the listeners.

The romantic songs from Sita Ramam make viewers go through an array of emotions ranging from the feeling of having butterflies to feeling Sita’s guilt for lying to Ram to a state of passion that both lovers are feeling for each other and finally a state of unrest after being kept away from one’s lover.

I wish Ram and Sita would have had more time to learn about each other and I wish that Sita told Ram who she really was before he left for his mission but come to think of it, the story would not be that of Sita-Ramam then.

The chemistry between Ram and Sita was palpable and it is commendable that without having any kissing scenes, the two actors, Dulquer and Mrunal were able to make viewers feel their emotions with their intensity.

The dialogues in the movie are straightforward and to the point where there does not seem much dragging and beating around the bush. The final plot twist with Afreen’s character is something that I did not see coming from a mile away and I laud the makers of the film for adequately executing that.

Calling Sita Ramam a masterpiece may seem biased but the movie definitely is one that will go down in the history of war-themed romantic movies to be made.

Read More: Sita Ramam Ending Explained

Feel free to check out more of our movie reviews here!

• Verdict - 8/10 8/10

Leave a comment

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Thanks For Rating

Reminder successfully set, select a city.

• Nashik Times
• Aurangabad Times
• Badlapur Times

You can change your city from here. We serve personalized stories based on the selected city

• Edit Profile
• Briefs Movies TV Web Series Lifestyle Trending Visual Stories Music Events Videos Theatre Photos Gaming

Vin Diesel sends good wishes to mom-to-be Deepika Padukone, AP Dhillon confirms he is safe after firing incident, Manoj Muntashir comes out in support of Kangana Ranaut's Emergency: Top 5 entertainment news of the day

Stree 2 director Amar Kaushik denies credit war between Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao caused any rift within the team: 'It’s my film'

Ranveer Singh picks wifey Deepika Padukone's maternity shoot as his NEW Instagram profile picture

Panchayat season 4: All you need to know about the Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav and Neena Gupta starrer

Sydney Sweeney excited for 'Euphoria' season 3 return as Cassie; says 'the crazier, the better'

AP Dhillon, Drake, Salman Khan: SHOCKING gunfireincidentsoutside celebrity homes

• Movie Reviews

Movie Listings

Pad Gaye Pange

A Wedding Story

The Diary Of West Beng...

Aho Vikramaarka

Khel Khel Mein

Ghuspaithiya

Hocus Focus

Aliya Basu Gayab Hai

Shraddha Srinath had a blast in her latest vacation to Thailand

Rakul Preet Singh nails power dressing in a white blazer and skirt set

Stunning ethnic looks of Rashami Desai

Janhvi Kapoor’s Iconic Saree Moments

Mouni Roy radiates goddess-like elegance in a white saree

Ganpati 2024: Palak Tiwari's Ethnic Fashion Guide for the Festive Season

​Stunning pictures of Nivetha Thomas

Nikhila Vimal’s breathtaking pics that highlight her unparalleled elegance

Notable Punjabi films of Gurdas Maan

​Aparna Balamurali stuns in her new photoshoot​

The Diary Of West Benga...

Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillr...

Kinds Of Kindness

The Deliverance

Blue Lock: Episode Nagi

Drive-Away Dolls

Blink Twice

In The Land Of Saints A...

Harold And The Purple C...

Adharma Kadhaigal

Pogumidam Vegu Thoorami...

Kottukkaali

Demonte Colony 2

Raghu Thatha

Bharathanatyam

Palum Pazhavum

Adios Amigo

Level Cross

Agathokakological

Nadanna Sambavam

Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi

Roopanthara

Family Drama

Back Bencherz

Manikbabur Megh: The Cl...

Rajnandini Paul and Ama...

Chaalchitra Ekhon

Nayan Rahasya

Teriya Meriya Hera Pher...

Kudi Haryane Val Di

Shinda Shinda No Papa

Sarabha: Cry For Freedo...

Zindagi Zindabaad

Maujaan Hi Maujaan

Chidiyan Da Chamba

White Punjab

Any How Mitti Pao

Gharat Ganpati

Ek Don Teen Chaar

Danka Hari Namacha

Aamhi Jarange

Vishay Hard

Swargandharva Sudhir Ph...

Naach Ga Ghuma

Juna Furniture

Devra Pe Manva Dole

Dil Ta Pagal Hola

Ittaa Kittaa

Jaishree Krishh

Bushirt T-shirt

Shubh Yatra

Your Rating

Write a review (optional).

• Movie Reviews /

Sita Ramam U

Would you like to review this movie?

Cast & Crew

Sita Ramam Movie Review : A predictable but poetic tale of love

• Times Of India

Sita Ramam - Official Trailer

Sita Ramam - Official Malayalam Trailer

Sita Ramam - Official Teaser (Tamil)

Sita Ramam - Official Teaser (Malayalam)

Sita Ramam - Official Teaser (Telugu)

Sita Ramam | Tamil Song Promo - Hey Sita Hey ...

Sita Ramam | Telugu Song - Oh Sita Hey Rama (...

Sita Ramam | Tamil Song - Hey Sita Hey Rama (...

Sita Ramam | Song Promo - Oh Sita Hey Rama

Sita Ramam | Song - Pen Poove Thenvande (Lyri...

Sita Ramam - Official Trailer (Hindi)

Users' Reviews

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

impixelop 231 days ago

this movie is my favorite now and it won't change

nikhilbgohel 296 days ago

What a film !

Ananya 302 days ago

Great movie

Ruposhree Saha 442 days ago

My always favourite movie

sagunthalasiva 465 days ago

Visual stories.

Top wildlife safaris for tiger spotting in September

Entertainment

Genelia D'Souza exudes boss lady vibes in a stylish checkered black suit

14 vegetarian foods that help control blood sugar naturally

​10 lesser known names of Lord Krishna for baby boy​

7 people in your life who should not know about your savings and income

13 Indian spices and the regions they are produced in

'The Time Traveller's Wife' by Audrey Niffenerger in 10 sentences

​Why King Bird-of-Paradise is called the 'living gem'​

How to make restaurant-style Chili Chicken at home

News - Sita Ramam

Buzz! Mrunal Thakur to star opposite Prabhas in Hanu Ra...

Mrunal Thakur pens the sweetest birthday note to Dulque...

Dulquer Salmaan signs his next Telugu film 'Aakasam Lo ...

Meet Dulquer Salmaan's 'Kunju' Maryam and her love for ...

Dulquer Salmaan's next Telugu film to be announced soon...

Mrunal Thakur shares her gratitude after playing a came...

Popular Movie Reviews

Mr.Bachchan

Prabuthwa Junior Kalashala

Purushothamudu

Siddharth Roy

Prasanna Vadanam

Music Shop Murthy

• Power List 2024
• Cannes 2024
• In-Depth Stories
• Web Stories
• Oscars 2024
• FC Wrap 2023
• Film Festivals
• FC Adda 2023
• Companion Zone
• Best Indian Films Forever List
• FC Front Row
• FC Disruptors
• Mental Health & Wellness

Sita Ramam Movie Review: Hanu Raghavapudi’s Best Work Nearly Hits Bullseye

Cast:  Dulquer Salmaan, Rashmika Mandanna, Mrunal Thakur

Director:  Hanu Raghavapudi

SPOILERS AHEAD

When the title of the film was announced as Sita Ramam, I groaned thinking do we need another film where the protagonists are called Sita and Ram to convince us of their love story. But as the story unfolds you realize that as a viewer you are being deceived, and in a good way. This is one of the pleasant ways that Hanu Raghavapudi surprises the audience with some of the screenplay choices he makes. His previous films struggled with pacing issues. He'd have a fantastic set-up but the film would whimper out as it reached the climax. The superb love triangle in Andala Rakshasi gets nowhere near the dramatic meat promised early on. The hilarious first act of Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha , which I consider his best work till Sita Ramam , becomes very simple and flat in the third act. Padi Padi Leche Manasu suffered more seriously from the "boring second half" syndrome than Sai Pallavi's Vaishali suffered from a mental condition in that film.

To make up for those lost opportunities, Hanu Raghavapudi this time, has chosen two stories to tell. First is the one that's familiar from all the promotional material. Lieutenant Ram ( Dulquer Salmaan ) is an orphaned soldier who loves his country, believes in religious tolerance, and is of the belief that Pakistan Army and Pakistan citizens are two different entities. One day an act of valor at the border, which saves a riot from breaking out, makes Ram famous across the nation. And soon he begins to get letters from various parts of the country with each person claiming to be his mother, sister, aunt, with all strangers promising him that he's not an orphan – a country that's his whole family. But amidst them is a letter from Sita Mahalakshmi ( Mrunal Thakur ) who claims to be his wife. Who is Ram? Who is Sita? Are they really married? 

The other story tucked in Sita Ramam is that of Afreen (Rashmika Mandanna), an India-hating Pakistani student, who teams up with Balaji (Tharun Bhascker) to find the truth about Sita and Ram. But she's a stand-in for the religious bigotry plaguing the country, she's a stand-in for disharmony between India and Pakistan, and someone torn between the notion of whether a good Muslim can also love Indians and Hindus. I think the film also serves as one of the finest mouthpieces for the Indian army's legitimacy in Kashmir, the infantilization of Kashmiri men and women, and also shifts the blame for the mess in Kashmir on the Pakistani Army. But we'll get to that later. 

The structure of the film is reminiscent of Veer-Zaara , Loving Vincent , and Dulquer Salman's own Mahanati . And that's not a bad thing. Hanu Raghavapudi is in fine form when dealing with the love story between Sita and Ram. There are deliberate Mani Ratnam-esque touches that he uses to emphasize the love between Sita and Ram. I know I know, it feels like every film writer in the country can't wait to use the term "Mani Ratnam-esque" the minute there are mirrors and trains in a film, but I think Hanu Raghavapudi is more eager than most to cite his inspiration. If Padi Padi Leche Manasu felt like a tribute to Geetanjali, here, one can't help but see the similarities to Roja, where a wife goes looking for her husband stuck in captivity. Hanu Raghavapudi, along with cinematographers PS Vinod and Shreyas Krishna is deliberate in showing Kashmir as a place of eternal beauty and conflict. Even the early courting scenes between Sita and Ram that begin on a train and end with the two lovers exploring the city while the girl hides the secret from her family, are reminiscent of Sakhi and OK Bangaram .

Dulquer himself amps up that boyish charm when he knows the lines are weak. He struggles in the initial portions when he has to be an army man and he doesn't have the bubbling anger or the restrained rage his character needs, but once it requires him to light up his eyes when he sees Sita or smile at her from a distance, he proves that there aren't too many romantic leads who can do pure romance like him. This is a man who made Mahanati 's version of Gemini Ganesan likable, so imagine what happens when he plays a more likable version of Adi from OK Bangaram and a more innocent version of Gemini Ganesan from Mahanati . In the scenes with Sunil and a superbly in-form Vennela Kishore, who plays a theatre-obsessed Durjay, Dulquer holds his own next to them while performing comedy and not in the sense of being the "cool" guy who lets the comedian ham it up, but bounces off them to create moments of genuine humor. I didn't expect Vennela Kishore and Dulqer Salmaan to be such a convincing "pair". More of that, please. 

But it's Mrunal Thakur who nearly steals the film away from him. In parts, the writing doesn't do her much justice i.e. once she resolves the "big conflict" of her character early in the second half she's not given much to do than mope around or look lovingly at Ram. But aided by Sheetal Sharma's costumes and Chinmayi's voice, it's hard to take your eyes off of her on screen. It shouldn't have come down to Chinmayi and the costumes had Hanu Raghavapudi decided not to resolve the romantic conflict so early in the second half. 

And that brings us to the other story in the film, that of Afreen, Brigadier Vishnu Sharma (Sumanth), and Abu Tariq (Sachin Khedekar). With the treatment of this story, Hanu Raghavapudi reminds us of his previous films, and this for sure I don't mean in a good way. 

Afreen hates India and her introduction is set to banging rock music and I could see that had India been a more tolerant country, Hanu Raghavapudi would have made Afreen burn a bigger Indian flag and create a more kickass entry for her so that the ultimate change in her arc would have been rewarding. But her hate seems to stem from just the fact that she's Pakistani and it's all the more unconvincing because her grandfather Abu Tariq who raised her, is a peace-loving man, who despite working in the Pakistani army, respects both nations. Rashmika Mandanna seems hammy without a proper backstory for her actions.

Even the film's apologetic tone towards the Indian army and its lack of research into the complications in Kashmir seems to have the idealism of a Facebook post from pre-2014 India that ended with a joke on Manmohan Singh. There is a lot I find problematic with Hanu Raghavapudi in what he extols through the film such as Kashmiris being too easily influenced by Pakistani propaganda, a Hindu man named Ram saving riots from spreading, thrusting a Quran in the palms of a dying terrorist, and saying "I hope you understand this better in your next life", or having his characters say dialogues to the effect of 'Kashmiris loved the Indian army before Pakistan messed it up.'

But there are two reasons I won't delve into it. First, it'll take forever to get into everything and you are not reading this to find out my opinion on Kashmir. Secondly, I trust that Hanu Raghavapudi means well, and much like the film Khadgam, which spoke of national unity, this film too has its heart in the right place even if the research is misplaced. 

This film doesn't seem to have a conflict once Sita and Ram get together in the second half so it needs to spend more time with the other big conflict that of Afreen. But once the film shifts its attention there, it becomes a different film about nations, religions, and conflict, and a once personal love story suddenly becomes about metaphors, and characters become stand-ins for ideologies. Even the one good arc of Vishnu Sharma is done with dollops of overacting and doesn't fully utilize Sumanth's acting range. I fully cheered at the thought of Sumanth and Bhumika Chawla reuniting as a couple nearly two and a half decades after Yuvakudu . But Bhumika is given too little to do and Sumanth is told to act too much. TOO MUCH. When he hears the name of someone from his past, he drops the object in his hand in shock; when narrating a flashback, he swivels his head to the side to indicate the flashback is coming, and he bellows when he's angry. 

Towards the climax, Hanu Raghavapudi makes another pedestrian mistake when a letter that's traveled time and three countries is supposed to be delivered by Afreen. It's the culmination of her change and her journey. Story-wise, she has to give it to the person to indicate that she's changed. But rather the moment is robbed from her and given to Balaji, an utterly inconsequential character in the universe of Sita Ramam . 

Even the music by Vishal Chandrashekar from whom Hanu Raghavapudi extracted such fine albums in Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha , and Padi Padi Leche Manasu seems a little stale in Sita Ramam compared to those two albums. It's SP Charan who holds the music together with his singing, which is nearly identical to his father's (SPB) and that's never a bad thing.

Hanu Raghavapudi still struggles with handling the second story but given that he has such likable leads and that he's so deft at handling love stories, this is easily his finest work. He should be making better films, but for now, he's made his best film. 

Related Stories

• India Today
• Business Today
• Harper's Bazaar
• Brides Today
• Cosmopolitan
• India Today Hindi
• Reader’s Digest
• Aaj Tak Campus

Download App

Sita Ramam Movie Review: Dulquer Salmaan, Mrunal Thakur's film aims to be a poignant love story, but falls short

Director hanu raghavapudi's sita ramam, starring dulquer salmaan and mrunal thakur, is a moving tale about unconditional love. however, the film falls short of creating a masterpiece, says our review..

Listen to Story

• Sita Ramam is a romantic drama directed by Hanu Raghavapudi.
• The film features Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur.
• The film hit the theatres on August 5.

Right from its posters to all the promotional materials, Sita Ramam promised to be an epic love story. Dulquer Salmaan’s charming persona and Mrunal Thakur’s arresting looks screamed romantic. Did Hanu Raghavapudi’s Sita Ramam live up to it?

Afreen (Rashmika Mandanna) is a student president of Pakistan at a university in London. She sets fire to an expensive car because it belongs to an Indian. Set in the 80s, the film talks about the rivalry between Indians and Pakistanis. She is entrusted with the job of delivering a letter to Sita Mahalakshmi (Mrunal Thakur). Her late grandfather Abdul Tariq (Sachin Khedekar), in his will, wrote that Afreen should deliver the letter written by Lieutenant Ram (Dulquer Salmaan).

Who is Ram and how is he related to Sita? What is Afreen’s past and how are Ram and Tariq related? Sita Ramam has answers to these questions.

Director Hanu Raghavapudi’s Sita Ramam is a layered story that talks about unconditional love and humanity over war and enmity. The story goes back and forth and Rashmika’s Afreen takes us through the journey of Sita and Ram falling in love with each other. However, this is not a story with shortcomings.

The first half of Sita Ramam establishes the conflict between Indians and Pakistanis right from the landscape to the internal politics. In the midst are two characters, Sita and Ram, who are true soulmates. Ram is Mr goody-two-shoes and believes that the world needs love. He is a soldier with a soft corner for humans (and animals) even if they belong to a rival country. Ram saves an entire village inhabited by Hindus, who are about to get killed by Muslims due to false propaganda. This impresses Sita, who then writes letters to Ram frequently. Ram and Sita’s love story is based on trust.

While the initial exchanges might sound like a fairy tale, it gets a tad boring when the director tries to include comedy. Sita Ramam tests your patience in the first half. Especially, if you are watching the Tamil version, it is tedious to sit through the film because of the ridiculous dialogues. However, as the story progresses, Sita Ramam holds your attention. All the loose ends in the first half converge in the latter part of the film, giving the audience closure. Sita Ramam also suffers from predictability. The truth about Rashmika Mandanna’s Afreen should move you ideally, but you could guess it long before it actually comes on screen.

Sita Ramam relies heavily on its lead performers, Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur. And they hit it out of the park. Dulquer as Ram and Mrunal as Sita are picture perfect. Sumanth, who plays a grey-shaded character in the film, makes things interesting. His character wonderfully brings out the worst side of a human being in difficult circumstances. Rashmika Mandanna's Afreen anchors the story and through her performance, she takes you on the ride of self-discovery.

Sita Ramam is technically sound and visually stunning. Cinematographers PS Vinod and Shreyaas Krishna’s work is simply brilliant. So much so that every frame looks like a painting. Vishal Chandrasekhar’s music is moving. Sita Ramam is also a musical, as opposed to a romantic story about war.

If only Hanu Raghavapudi had ironed out the shortcomings, Sita Ramam could have been a masterpiece.

2.5 out of 5 for Sita Ramam. Published By: Nairita Mukherjee Published On: Aug 5, 2022 --- ENDS ---

• తెలుగు

Sita Ramam Has A Unique Story Not Seen Anywhere!

Dulquer Salmaan's Sita Ramam is releasing in Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam on August 5th.

The movie has got great buzz in the audience thanks to very impressive trailer and the songs. Dulquer spoke to the media ahead of the release.

"Sita Ramam is a really original story. Really classic film and very rare. No such story has come any where in the world. I liked the screenplay very much. It will be beyond our imagination. What we saw in the trailer is very less, you have to experience it on the big screen," Dulquer Salmaan spiced up things about the film.

He also spoke about his role in the film.

"I play Ram, an orphan who works in the army. He is a very positive person who hates nothing. He is always very happy and is very patriotic," Dulquer told.

The star also said music is the heart of the film.

"Vishal Chandrasekhar scored an excellent album. Every song will be equally amazing. 'Kanunna Kalyanam' is my favorite song. The songs will be more amazing with visuals. Telugu language is amazing. I learned the meaning of every word," he said.

• Ram Prefers Mahesh Over Harish!
• Sree Vishnu's Swag Picks A Solo Date
• Viswam Teaser: Sreenu Vaitla Mark Entertainer

Tags: Dulquer Salmaan Sita Ramam

• Movie Schedules

-->

Most Viewed Articles

• Committee Kurrollu seals its OTT premiere date
• Kids should stay away from my next film, says Nani
• Pawan Kalyan’s pic from OG leaked? – Here is the truth
• Will Boyapati Sreenu accept Chiranjeevi’s challenge?
• Pawan Kalyan requests OG and HHVM makers to postpone b’day announcements
• Viral Video: Naga Chaitanya meets cricket legend Sourav Ganguly
• Pic Talk: Chiranjeevi shares Pawan Kalyan’s unseen pic on his birthday
• Hanu-Man director’s cryptic post leaves fans confused
• Vijay’s The GOAT fails to generate any buzz in Telugu States
• Leading lady locked for Ajith & Mythri Movie Makers’ Good Bad Ugly

Recent Posts

• 100 కోట్ల క్లబ్ వైపు దూసుకెళ్తున్న నాని “సరిపోదా శనివారం”
• స్పెషల్ ప్రీమియర్స్ తో వస్తున్న “జనక అయితే గనక”
• Glamorous Photos : Aashu Reddy
• Photos : 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu Pre Release Event
• Photos : Nivetha Thomas at 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu Pre Release Event
• New Photos : Shraddha Das

Release Date : August 05, 2022

123telugu.com Rating : 3.5/5

Starring: Dulquer Salmaan, Mrunal Thakur, Rashmika Mandanna and Sumanth.

Director: Hanu Raghavapudi

Producer: Aswini Dutt

Music Director: Vishal Chandrasekhar

Cinematography : P. S. Vinod, Shreyaas Krishna

Editor: Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao

Malayalam star hero Dulquer Salmaan is back with his second straight Telugu film Sita Ramam. Mrunal Thakur is the female lead. The film is carrying good buzz and it hit the screens today. Let’s see how it is.

Afreen (Rashmika Mandanna) is a student president of Pakistan at a university in London. She takes up the job of delivering a letter to Sita Mahalakshmi (Mrunal Thakur) at the insistence of her grandfather’s will. Though she doesn’t like the job, she agrees to do it to get her share of her grandfather’s property. The letter is written by Lieutenant Ram (Dulquer Salmaan) to Sita. Who is this Ram? Who is Sita Mahalakshmi? What is the connection between Ram and Afreen’s grandfather? Watch the film to know the answers.

Plus Points:

We have been hearing what a terrific performer Dulquer Salmaan is. The actor once again proves his worth with Sita Ramam. He breathes life into Lieutenant Ram’s character. He looks good and his screen presence is blazing. Be it the emotional scenes or the romantic ones, he delivers them splendidly.

The surprise package here is Mrunal Thakur. She makes a staggering Telugu debut. She looked gorgeous in sarees and performed with ease. She surely will have a bright future ahead.

The romantic track has been handled in a very classy manner. The scenes involving the lead pair were showcased majestically and the chemistry is cracking. The music is very rich. Some scenes will tug your heartstrings.

Though there are a lot of characters on screen, each has its significance which is not an easy task to handle. Sumanth and Rashmika’s roles are beautifully woven into this story. They got major roles and did a splendid job. The character arc of Sumanth has been written with perfection. Though this is a love story, certain major twists are well placed in the film that are whistle worthy.

Few dialogues spark and make us think. They are short and register well. The second half of the movie is terrific, to say the least. The way the war angle has been brought into a love story deserves special applause. The writing team did an exquisite job.

Minus Points:

The first half of the film is slow-paced. Director took more time to get into the actual plot. Even though the story is set well, it takes more of the screen time. The editing team could have done an, even more, better job by reducing the length to prop up the film’s tempo.

The comedy in the film looks a bit odd. Though it evokes laughs it feels like it is not necessary to this plot. There are a few logical errors. To name one, a character looks the same even after 20 years without much change.

The theme of the movie may not appeal to the masses. The songs at places come as speed breakers disturbing the flow of the film. The film turns out a bit slow at times making it feel lengthy.

Technical Aspects:

The production values are top-notch. The makers have spent very well on the film which is pretty evident on the screen. Even for smaller roles noted artists have been brought on board which added much value to the film. Production house should be appreciated for this. The visuals are eye-catching. Cinematographer PS Vinod and Shreyas were phenomenal in depicting the numerous locations present in the film. The majestic Kashmir is well captured.

The music by Vishal Chandrasekhar is very pleasant and sets the mood for this beautiful love story. The background score is just perfect. The editing team did an okayish job. The length of the film is its main stumbling block. The first half could have been crisp.

Coming to director Hanu Raghavapudi, he clearly overcame his second-half syndrome. As promised in the promotions, he delivered big time with the latter part. The way he narrated this love story with enchanting visuals, and prodigious characterizations, is stupendous. Though the first half isn’t great he makes it up with his storytelling in the later hour. He delivered one of the best love stories in a long time.

On the whole Sita Ramam is a beautiful love story. The film has a decent first half and great second half. The scintillating performances by all the lead cast, the pleasing narrative, and the poetic writing will make you poignant and heartwarming. As the film is centered around a simple love story and war, it may not be overwhelming to the masses. Almost all the departments did a superlative job. Director Hanu gave us a beautiful and aesthetic love story that should surely be enjoyed on big screens. You can surely watch this film without a doubt. It is worth all your money.

123telugu.com Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

Articles that might interest you:

• ’35 movie’ passes censor with clean ‘U’ certificate
• Aay producer to donate 25% of share to AP flood victims
• Devara in Canada: Pre-sales off to a sensational start
• Date locked for Gopichand’s Viswam teaser
• Poll: Which film are you most excited for among this week’s releases?

-->

Ad : Teluguruchi - Learn.. Cook.. Enjoy the Tasty food

• Click on the Menu icon of the browser, it opens up a list of options.
• Click on the “Options ”, it opens up the settings page,
• Here click on the “Privacy & Security” options listed on the left hand side of the page.
• Scroll down the page to the “Permission” section .
• Here click on the “Settings” tab of the Notification option.
• A pop up will open with all listed sites, select the option “ALLOW“, for the respective site under the status head to allow the notification.
• Once the changes is done, click on the “Save Changes” option to save the changes.

• Top Listing
• Upcoming Movies

Sita Ramam First Review: Dulquer Salmaan, Rashmika & Mrunal Starrer Romantic Drama Impresses!

Malayalam actor Dulquer Salmaan's upcoming Telugu film is Sita Ramam, a romantic drama written and directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. The movie, which has Mrunal Thakur in her Telugu debut, also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Sumanth in key roles. The movie is set to open in theatres all over the world on August 5.

Ahead of the film's theatrical release, film enthusiast and a member of the overseas Film Censor Board, Umair Sandhu, who got to see the film beforehand has shared his opinion on Sita Ramam. He said, " Wow! What a beautiful Film #SitaRamam! Maza a Gaya" with a string of heart emojis.

The story of the film is set in two different time periods-one belonging to the 1960s and the other a little forward. The love story of Sita and Ram is depicted with the elements of war, army, fate, and desperation. Dulquer Salmaan portrayed the role of Lieutenant Ram and Mrunal will be seen in the role of Sita Mahalakshmi, Ram's love interest. Rashmika Mandanna will be portraying the role of Afreen, who, according to the trailer, comes to Hyderabad in search of Ram and Sita.

The movie also stars Sumanth as Brigadier Vishnu Sharma, director Tharun Bhascker as Balaji, director Gautham Vasudev Menon as Major Selvan, Bhumika Chawla as Mrinali Sharma, Vennela Kishore as Durjoy, Murali Sharma, Prakash Raj, and Shatru. The movie is releasing in Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam.

The movie is bankrolled by Aswini Dutt and Swapna under Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema banners respectively. The movie's cinematography is rendered by PS Vinod and Shreyaas Krishna. Sita Ramam has a beautiful soundtrack and hit songs composed by Vishal Chandrasekhar. Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao edited the film.

• Don't Block
• Block for 8 hours
• Block for 12 hours
• Block for 24 hours
• Dont send alerts during 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am to 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am