Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama (1993) on Netflix

PG19932h 15mAction Adventure Animation

Prince Rama of Ayodhya is named heir to the throne. Kaikeyi, his father's wife, claims two boons: her son as king and Rama exiled for fourteen years.

Watch on Netflix
Watch on NordVPN

Netflix4.6/5
IMDb9.1/1018,091 votes
Rotten TomatoesNot available

Trailer

Watch the trailer on YouTube

Plot summary

Ayodhya is a rich kingdom ruled by King Dasharatha, who has three wives and four sons. Demons raid the forest and kill the sages who live there, and the sage Vishwamitra asks the king for his son Rama's help. Dasharatha refuses out of fear for Rama's life, but Rama accepts, and his younger brother Lakshmana goes with him. Vishwamitra grants the brothers divine weapons. In Mithila, Rama lifts a divine bow no other king could raise and marries the princess Sita. Years afterward, Dasharatha announces that he will step down and names Rama as king. Kaikeyi, the mother of Rama's brother Bharata, calls in two boons and asks that Bharata rule and that Rama be exiled for fourteen years. Rama accepts her wishes, and Sita and Lakshmana depart with him.

Cast

Show all 20 cast

Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama (1993)

Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.

The Indian government ultimately refused to co-produce the film and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad protested depicting Hindu gods as cartoons, forcing production to Japan entirely; the film's completion also coincided with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which culminated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, further dimming its Indian release prospects.
A protest letter from the Vishva Hindu Parishad reached the Japanese Embassy in Delhi, arguing that no foreigners could arbitrarily turn the Ramayana into a film because it was the great national heritage of India.
Yugo Sako came to know the Ramayana in 1983 while making a documentary about excavations near Allahabad, read ten Japanese versions of it, and chose animation over live action: “Because Ram is God, I felt it was best to depict him in animation, rather than by an actor.”
A new production studio, Nippon Ramayana Film Co., Ltd., was set up and principal animation began in 1990 with 450 artists; Indian animators guided their Japanese teammates on customs such as how dhotis are worn and how children receive blessings from their elders.
A further localized English dub gave the film narration by James Earl Jones and cast Bryan Cranston as Prince Rama, with additional music by Alan Howarth and the runtime shortened to 90 minutes. That version was released on 9 November 2001.
When the Academy created its Best Animated Feature category in 2001, Ramayana was one of nine films that qualified for consideration, though it was not ultimately nominated.