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At a time when the world thrives on mega-action films with gore, blood and violence (not that I don’t love it), it is nice to see a romance drama.

Starring Dulquer Salmaan, Mrunal Thakur and Rashmika Mandanna in lead roles, Sita Ramam is a visually beautiful tale of love and loss. It has all the makings of being labelled a classic love story, but falls short in certain aspects. The film flits between two time period — the 1960s and the 1980s. It starts with a patriotic young Pakistani woman, Afreen, burning a car of a respected Indian figure in London in 1980s. She has a massive hatred for anything or anyone Indian. She is symbolises the animosity and hatred that brewed between India and Pakistan after the partition. Her hatred of Indians does not stem from personal experience though. She is the granddaughter of Brigadier Taariq, who is clearly against her blind hatred of the neighbouring country.

In contrast to this is Lieutenant Ram. He looks beyond religion and borders, while keeping his patriotism intact. This young man, who went beyond what his role required of him in the army is celebrated for stopping a massacre on a Hindu village in Kashmir. He clears up the misunderstanding that crops up among Kashmiri Muslims after young men are killed by the army. They have credible information about Mujahideen teens who have crossed borders to do as their leader directed. Ram stands between a group of Muslims and Hindus, risks his life to ensure that terror doesn’t rain upon Kashmir.

A still from Sita Raman

The contrasts are visible throughout the film, hatred and love. There is also the red and blue of unity, and there is Sitamahalakshmi and Ram. Before his death, Afreen’s grandfather gives her one last task. If she were to complete it, she will inherit his wealth. In need of some urgent money, Afreen accepts the mission and in this journey she unlearns the hatred that had been buried deep within her for her neighboring country. She learns about Ram’s life, his love for his country and the gorgeous Sitamahalakshmi. Her mission is to hand over his last letter to his lover.

As the film unfolds, we learn important bits and pieces of information about Ram and Sita. It comes in fragments, as it is a story that is narrated to Afreen by different people who had known Ram and Sita in the past. She learns about a person who proves every belief of hers about Indian wrong. She learns about a woman who gave it all for her love. The idea is interesting. To introduce hate first, and then reveal things that which would destroy hate from within — love, hope, dreams and more. So in that vein, Ram’s life symbolises the hopes and dreams of many who want a world absent of hatred.

Now, the problem arises for me personally when this very symbol of hope that the film took hours to built is destroyed within minutes. From the first letters that arrived from Sita (voiced to perfection by Chinmayi), to the last letter that Ram had penned for her, just this back and forth induces old world nostalgia. It also underlines how desperate humans were for contact in absence of all the communication devices that the world has today. The closure that Ram seeks with his last letter, the one that Sita seeks every year when she visits Kashmir in his absence, is a treasure trove that could have been explored further. Maybe then, a sad ending would be befitting of this film that aims to be a classic love story.

A still from Sita Raman

Otherwise, I beg to differ. Do all classic love stories need to have a sad ending? I understand that they illicit emotions that are more intense, but where do we gather hope from? If the film had not thrown in certain elements, like the reds and blues, or the interfaith element, maybe I could’ve bought their fate. However, it is almost as if the film baits the audience into a false sense of security before it bursts their bubble. Beyond the film’s visuals, what really strikes a chord is the music by Vishal Chandrasekhar. It is sweet and charming, just like the film which stops short of being a classic.

But at a time when the world thrives on mega-action films with gore, blood and violence (not that I don’t love it), it is nice to see a romance drama. A well-made one at that, which also fleshes out its female lead as more than a skeletal being. Sita has layers, and she is a mystery. One that Ram doesn’t intend to solve, but only to enjoy. He has no intentions of changing her, her life or her choice. Sita’s one worry is that her secret remains unshared with Ram. However, with his last letter, Ram gives Sita the closure that two decades of living without him couldn’t. So, if sweet moments, and heartwarming hugs resulting in a heart break is not your cup of tea, give Sita Ramam a miss. Not everyone enjoys being a blubbering mess at the end of a film, after all.

Also, Mrunal Thakur, who makes her debut in Telugu with Sita Ramam, has given a great performance. That in combination with Chinmayi’s voice do add wonders. Dulquer and Rashmika play their part convincingly. The best scene in the film is the moment where Ram clicks a picture of Sita in his friend’s home. He is reflected in the camera, while she is the object of his attention. In the end, I wondered if this snapshot was foreshadowing the end. Ram as only a reflection in Sita’s life.

Priyanka Sundar is a film journalist who covers films and series of different languages with special focus on identity and gender politics.

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