'Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama' to release in India with new dubs

New Delhi: "Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama", the 1999 Japanese-Indian anime film, will be updated with new dubs in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu alongside its original English version for its first-ever theatrical release in India, the distributors said on Saturday.

Directed by Yugo Sako, Ram Mohan and Koichi Sasaki, the animated film will hit the cinema halls on October 18 in the 4K format.

Geek Pictures India, AA Films and Excel Entertainment will distribute "Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Ram" across India cinema halls.

“Driven by our unwavering commitment to making this timeless film accessible to all, we have taken the responsibility of reviving this cherished epic. In our dedication to honouring the vision of the original creators, we meticulously produced new language versions in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, under the guidance of esteemed industry veteran Shri V. Vijayendra Prasad.

“While preserving the original English dialogue and maintaining the iconic, powerful visuals as they were originally conceived, we aim to offer a renewed cinematic experience that resonates with children and families across India,” Geek Pictures India said in a statement.

The distributor company also said the film will comply with the latest guidelines set by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) of India, incorporating enhanced accessibility features for the hearing impaired, ensuring a more inclusive viewing experience for all.

In the Hindi version of "Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Ram", "Ramayan" star Arun Govil voiced the character of Ram, Namrata Sawhney voice starred as Sita, and the late Amrish Puri lent his voice to Ravan, with veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha serving as narrator.

Composed by Vanraj Bhatia and penned by PK Mishra, "Shri Raghuvar Ki Vaanar Sena", "Janani Main Ramdoot Hanuman" and "Jai Lankeshwar" were some of the popular songs from the film's Hindi dubbed version.

"Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama" was screened in India at the 24th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) but wasn’t released in cinema halls. It became popular with Indian audiences upon its re-runs on TV channels in the early 2000s.