This is not a happy story. It is a saga of grief: of Rama, the king torn between his sense of duty towards his kingdom and that towards his wife; and of Sita, the wronged but devoted wife. Further, this is also the story that Ramayana-critics and bra-burning feminists love to cry themselves hoarse about, demanding to know what the fuss over Rama is all about when he's merely an unjust husband just like "any other man". Needless to say, Bapu has both the vision and the finesse to deal with this topic with the subtlety and sensitivity it deserves. For example, Rama's sense of remorse, when he sends his wife away to the forest without so much as telling her what went wrong, is explored with fitting detail here. Ditto for other vital elements of the narrative. From Sita's unflinching devotion to her husband; Hanuman's helplessness over Sita's sorrow, and, simultaneously, his eagerness to serve her and keep her happy; to Lava and Kusa losing their regard for Rama after they hear ! of Sita's tragedy - they're all dealt with with immense dexterity. The treatment of the story is all old-school, and the film succeeds in recreating divinity and devotion, without ever being over-the-top or exaggerated. We know several people who would look down upon any modern mythological film as blasphemy, but we'd like to urge them to give this one a watch. At least, to witness in this day and age, a movie so staunchly faithful to the classical that every frame gives away the discipline that went
... 
