Even as "Ramayan" has been narrated several times through television series, films and animated films, the classic Indian mythological series is now likely to be to make an impression on the global audience.
According to a Press Trust of India (PTI) report, three U.S. filmmakers Vineet Sinha and Sean Graham and creative director Ronnie Allman are keen to recreate "Ramayan" in English, as they feel that the tale of the Hindu mythology shouldn't be confined to Indians but needs to be narrated to the world.
However, unlike the previous versions of the Hindu mythology, the makers claim that the big-budget film will be along the lines of Hollywood films like "Lord of the Rings" and "Planet of the Apes." "Hollywood, Japan and China make and market their stories such as Batman, Superman, Star Wars and Pokemon to the whole world. But Indian stories are not as well known," Sinha told PTI.
The makers also intend to live up to the expectations of the Indian audience while making the film for the global viewers. "We want this film to appeal to the fantasy action adventure audience who will watch 'Lord of the Rings,' 'Planet of the Apes'. We are also making sure people at home (India) don't feel too distanced with our portrayal," Sinha added.
"Considering India's most expensive films cost about $25 million, so for making Ramayana the cost would be twice of that. We need studio level support to make that possible," Graham said.
"Creating a world that is thousands of years old means heavy designs. We have to make sure we are keeping true to the time, while also adding our own spin on things," Allman said. "The biggest challenge has also been the most fun to figure out. How do you get a Rakshasa (demons) to fly in the air after being hit by Hanuman's gada (mace)," Allman added.
The film will be shot in English and will see most of the Indian actors in key roles. It will be dubbed in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, French and many other languages. The makers are looking to raise Rs 50 lakh by crowd funding on Wishberry.in, a platform for creative projects across films, music and theatre.
