Veena Ghorakavi

I did not really appreciate the way the story was narrated. I did not like anything about the movie to be honest. The graphics were poorly done. I did appreciate the Javanese shadow puppets. I did not appreciate the narrators. I did not appreciate the flow of the movie as it made no sense,. Watching this movie, I learnt more about Nina Paley's life than I did about the Ramayana. Properly narrated, the Ramayana takes at least a year to go through. So many of the finer points were glossed over like how dharma plays into each character's actions. For example, Rama was meant to be a virtuous man, king, and demigod, not a "cold, uncaring husband." Sita was meant to be an ideal wife, demigoddess, and queen. He made decisions not only for himself but for the kingdom. He was proving himself to be a king. While I appreciate that Nina was heartbroken by her marriage's dissolution, I don't think using Sita's story was appropriate.

This movie is incredible. It is my top movie of all time. It is an absolute masterpiece in terms of direction, story, acting, and just everything. I honestly was so engaged in the movie from start to end. The craziest thing for me was the attention to detail. It was so easy to figure out who was who in the movie. From Barkha Dutt to Nivedita Menon/Arundhati Roy to Bitta Karate, all their quirky habits and speech patterns were portrayed so realistically. I am not sure how much I can say in my review without giving away the movie, but the message was perfectly crafted and delivered. To give you an idea of how perfect the movie is, I hate watching movies in theaters. I was already annoyed from the commercials that came before the movie and was planning on leaving. My butt was glued to the seat from start to finish of the movie. I thought artistry in Indian cinema was dead, but my God, this movie saved the entire Indian cinema industry. The message was poignant and just perfectly delivered. This was the representation Kashmiri Pandits needed. I know BK Ganjoo's relative, and I remember the first time she told me the story. Oh my God, seeing it in theater and seeing him be betrayed...and knowing his relative...It was terrifying. I have no clue how to explain feeling like you saw someone you know be killed. I also know Lassa Kaul's niece. It is important to note that Lassa Kaul was killed to suppress information being disseminated about what was going on in Kashmir. All the actors did an incredible job. I am still in awe of this movie, and that is all I can say right now. Bravo Vivek ji. You crafted an exceptional and incredible movie. I think this is legitimately one of the greatest movies ever made. Unfortunately, the material is "controversial." It is truly a gift to humanity this movie was made. The beauty of Kashmir is evident amongst the horror of the events that occurred. A special shout out to Pallavi Joshi. You had people jumping out of their seats wagging their fists at the screen in the theater I viewed it at. Notes: Be careful if you are sensitive. This movie has some truly horrifying scenes. The victims of genocide whose deaths were portrayed in the movie (I am doing this from memory): Nila Kanth Ganjoo, BK Ganjoo, Lassa Kaul, Premi Koul, Virendra Koul, Girija Tickoo, Nandimarg massacre.