The Warrior Twins is an apt subtitle for this animated film about the sons of Rama and Sita. This is Lav and Kush as you’ve never seen them before, rockstars, with hints of pre-adolescent angst. Sure, they do all the things the original Lav and Kush were supposed to do — sing hymns in praise of Lord Rama in girlish voices, protect the forest around Valmiki’s hermitage, and above all, respect and obey their mother. But there are plenty of contemporary elements thrown in. A fight sequence, where they’re trying to wrest control of the Ashwamedh horse, has them zooming down slopes on planks of wood that look surprisingly like skateboards. They hold their tanpuras with all the élan of an electric guitar. They question the all-powerful Ram’s authority and judgment when they learn that he sent his wife into exile.
Now, for the plot. The story begins with Rama banishing Sita to the forest when she is pregnant. In a beautifully animated sequence, we see the chariot-bearing Sita being driven deep into the dark forest by Lakshman, as the rain lashes down on them. The sage Valmiki finds her and gives her asylum, becoming Lav and Kush’s guru after they are born. Lav and Kush are soon trained to protect the residents of the forest that is their home — humans and animals alike, and also to revere Rama. A trip to Ayodhya, however, turns them against their hero, after they learn of Sita’s banishment at his hands. The climax of the film follows the battle over their capture of Ram’s Ashwamedh horse and the confrontation between the father and his sons.
The film is engaging for the most part, with a surprisingly good background score by L.V. Ganesan. There’s also a song picturised on Valmiki, which has all the scale of the CWG opening ceremony. But the pace could have done with considerable tightening, perhaps by reducing the songs — all Ram bhajans, and a Hanuman one thrown in for good measure. Towards the end especially, they are quite intrusive, interspersed as they are with the crucial moments of the battle. Strangely enough, the scenes set in Ayodhya have very traditional South Indian music. And while the depiction of the bond between the brothers in this film, Ram-Lakshman, and Lav-Kush has depth, Sita’s is disappointingly flat.
Also, unfortunately, most of the sequences in the film aren’t as stunning as the opening one, which is not to say that the animation is not polished. It’s simply not uniform. And the animals — monkeys, rabbits, and Lav-Kush’s sidekicks, a pair of squirrels — meant to be cute, are just plain irritating.
But these are for the most part minor irritants. Lava and Kusa is unexpectedly enjoyable fare, and not just for the children at which is targeted.