Raavan: Mani try making a Mime

Cinematographic brilliance

 The media puts it as a version of Ramayana, I would just say well thought out script on the lines of Ramayana but somewhere the script wasn’t crisp hence the execution was a little weak. Expectations from Mani ratnam were high with abhi-aish duo on the cast, probably that is one reason where people failed to see some of the good aspects of the movie

Characters were well chosen, the introduction on screen of the characters was good especially if we look at how best they could have related the characters to the Ramayana. Govinda’s character as hanuman was probably most acceptable if not the best.

A couple of things that I think were brilliant, not sure if the director also thinks the same

•  Ram/Dev: Ram has always been the “maryada purushottam” but here he was more like Krishna where he would do the righteous task without much concern of the means.
• Sita is still the vulnerable one, Ram or Raavan she will be a means to an end for either of them. She fears death over the loss of her sanctity but not more than the life of her man. For the sita it is the trust of a man than the vice or virtues that maketh the man.
• Raavan: I liked the character. The love not lust for sita, the denouncing of force to overpower her and finally letting go of her. This was different from actual Ramayana where it started with revenge switched to lust and then in the end it was the ego of being the indomitable.

Given an option of how the movie probably could have been better? A few recommendations;

1)      With sheer cinematographic brilliance and amazingly thought out shots I think the dialogues weren’t given too much emphasis moreover the delivery was weak. I would rather keep the dialogues to a minimum especially for Beera, somewhat like Amitabh in Sarkaar. His get up, his eyes, his expressions should do the talking.

Aish is not the right choice of the character, secondly too many dialogues for her, with that kind of irritating voice she continuously brays “bachao bachao” in the highest pitch ..it was a torture. Don’t give her dialogues if it is mandatory to keep her. 
Given a choice I would pick Isha shravani for this role; Rustic, southern beauty with a face where expressions are very prominent and a good amalgamation of innocence, vulnerability and warrior streak.