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Queen sings the blues!

Sita Sings the Blues (2008)
Director: Nina Paley

Since its first narration as way back as 7th century BCE and its additions over the centuries, it has fascinated many. The epic poem has been analysed, reanalysed and re-interpreted from so many angles. Ramayana continues to be a source of inspiration for many on Rama, the obedient son, the brother, the King, the husband, the warrior and the avatar of Vishnu Himself.

This time around, this animated production looks for the epic from Sita's viewpoint, as a wife yearning for Rama's trust and acceptance. Using 1929 catchy blues songs by Annette Hanshaw as the main background score, the movie depicts a miserable Sita who yearns for Rama's love. Through no fault of her, she is accused of infidelity. Rama, the stoic king, is depicted as the cold-hearted husband who is more interested in reputation and living up the citizen's approval rather than standing up for his wife.

Running parallel to the main storyline is the contemporary story of Nina, the director, and her relationship with her husband who deserted her in real life. Like Rama, he becomes cold after his trip to Trivandrum, India. Like Sita too, Nina is wronged and becomes the wife who is the victim of the husband's unknown train of thought.

The film portrays Sita as the innocent victim of the times who is made to prove her purity. At every juncture, she is assumed to be the guilty. Her words carry no weight, and she has to depend on the elements of Nature to prove her chastity. She has to perform the fire ritual repeatedly to this effect. After sacrificing fourteen years of princely life to stay a pauper's life because of internal political wranglings, she is banished again to the jungle, pregnant, lonely and broken. Is it all for love? How long can a lady take all these beatings?

Naturally, this film drew flak from ultra-conservative Hindu groups who perceive this film as degrading to the image of Rama, the avatar of the Supreme Being, Lord Vishnu. He is portrayed as the aloof and cold King who is more interested in living to maintain a pristine image and feeding to the public gossips rather than doing the 'right' thing. Lord Rama and His actions have been an exemplary moral code for generations all this while. To question this, they say, is sacrilegious.



https://asok22.wixsite.com/real-lesson 

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Location: Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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