Ramayana anime debuts at Maha Kumbh with a special screening for over 200 school kids

Chennai, Jan 22 (IANS) The iconic Indo-Japanese animated film, ‘Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama’, made a spectacular debut on Tuesday at the Maha Kumbh mela in Prayagraj where a special screening of the film was held for over 200 school-children.

.The children were introduced to the anime based on Valimiki’s Ramayana for the first time.

This historic event coincides with the first anniversary of the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

The welcome note was delivered by the Uttar Pradesh government’s Minister of State for Social welfare and SC/ST Welfare, Asim Arun.

What is interesting is that this is the first time that a film has made a pre-release debut at the Maha Kumbh festival. This historic event at the Maha Kumbh Mela aligns with the festival's profound spiritual significance.

The Maha Kumbh mela, which is held every 12 years at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers, offers an auspicious platform to introduce this cinematic retelling of Lord Rama's journey.

Directed by Koichi Sasaki and Ram Mohan, ‘Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama’ is a notable and internationally acclaimed work in cinematic history because of how it combines the richness of Indian storytelling traditions with fine Japanese artistry.

The animation film has triggered huge expectations and has caught the attention of not just film buffs and film critics but also even India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

It may be recalled that only a few days ago, the Finance Minister, while sharing the trailer of the animation film on her X timeline, had said, “A beautiful animated Ramayana. Fondly remember watching this Japanese cultural treasure sometime back. Was screened at (the) International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 1993. It now releases on the big screen.”

The film releases across cinemas in India on January 24, 2025, in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and English. It will be distributed in Ultra HD 4K by Geek Pictures India, AA Films and Excel Entertainment.

--IANS

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