<p>Sita Ramam<br />Telugu (Theaters)<br />Director: Hanu Raghavapudi<br />Cast: Dulquer Salman, Mrunal Thakur, Rashmika Mandanna, Sumanth</p>.<p>‘Sita Ramam’ is the story of an orphaned soldier Ram, who receives letters from a woman named Sita, who claims to be his wife. He falls in love with the woman and in pursuit of this love he finds “home”.</p>.<p>At the core of it, ‘Sita Ramam’ is a classic love story. But there is a lot more to the film than what meets the eye.</p>.<p>To begin with, the radicalisation of Kashmiri Muslims and the Indo-Pak conflict is showcased<br />responsibly (by commercial cinema standards). The Indian soldiers don’t one-up the Pakistani soldiers. There are humanitarians and self-interest merchants on both sides.</p>.<p>In a film that relies heavily on the likeability of its characters, the strongest is Afreen, a Pakistani woman played by Rashmika Mandanna. In a rebellious role, Rashmika delivers a powerful performance. Afreen’s character introduction, combined with sequences that present the conflict in Kashmir, make the cheesy love story of Sita and Ram appear trivial in the first half.</p>.<p>The love story becomes engaging in the second half when the conflict is introduced and leads to a heart-wrenching conclusion. Sumanth delivers a noteworthy performance as Brigadier Vishnu Sharma. Mrunal Thakur succeeds at<br />being charming and mysterious at the same time as Sita. Murali Sharma is at his typical best while Tharun Bhascker succeeds partly at providing comic relief.</p>.<p>However, Dulquer Salman struggles to find the right metre for Ram. His performance is very superficial and the dialogue delivery theatrical at times. His boyish charm is a consolation.<br />The music by Vishal Chandhrashekhar has a vintage quality to it.<br />‘Sita Ramam’ shares its soul with the<br />Bollywood classic ‘Veer-Zara’ (2004). Yet, it maintains an identity of its own.</p>
<p>Sita Ramam<br />Telugu (Theaters)<br />Director: Hanu Raghavapudi<br />Cast: Dulquer Salman, Mrunal Thakur, Rashmika Mandanna, Sumanth</p>.<p>‘Sita Ramam’ is the story of an orphaned soldier Ram, who receives letters from a woman named Sita, who claims to be his wife. He falls in love with the woman and in pursuit of this love he finds “home”.</p>.<p>At the core of it, ‘Sita Ramam’ is a classic love story. But there is a lot more to the film than what meets the eye.</p>.<p>To begin with, the radicalisation of Kashmiri Muslims and the Indo-Pak conflict is showcased<br />responsibly (by commercial cinema standards). The Indian soldiers don’t one-up the Pakistani soldiers. There are humanitarians and self-interest merchants on both sides.</p>.<p>In a film that relies heavily on the likeability of its characters, the strongest is Afreen, a Pakistani woman played by Rashmika Mandanna. In a rebellious role, Rashmika delivers a powerful performance. Afreen’s character introduction, combined with sequences that present the conflict in Kashmir, make the cheesy love story of Sita and Ram appear trivial in the first half.</p>.<p>The love story becomes engaging in the second half when the conflict is introduced and leads to a heart-wrenching conclusion. Sumanth delivers a noteworthy performance as Brigadier Vishnu Sharma. Mrunal Thakur succeeds at<br />being charming and mysterious at the same time as Sita. Murali Sharma is at his typical best while Tharun Bhascker succeeds partly at providing comic relief.</p>.<p>However, Dulquer Salman struggles to find the right metre for Ram. His performance is very superficial and the dialogue delivery theatrical at times. His boyish charm is a consolation.<br />The music by Vishal Chandhrashekhar has a vintage quality to it.<br />‘Sita Ramam’ shares its soul with the<br />Bollywood classic ‘Veer-Zara’ (2004). Yet, it maintains an identity of its own.</p>