Why 'Sita Ramam' is the dessert of the season

July was a pretty dry month for Telugu cinema, as most of the releases bit the dust. But then came ‘Sita Ramam’ in the first week of August and the viewers fell in love with the period drama. Although some people consider it to be saccharine, the music, the leads, and the cinematography have unanimously floored them all. It’s hard to take your eyes off two people who are really pretty. And it’s harder to look away when they’re in Kashmir where the snow-capped mountains make the region appear magical.

‘Radhe Shyam’, which hit theatres earlier this year, was also set in the past. And it was also shot in exotic locales. However, it was dead on arrival. There was absolutely no chemistry between its protagonists. And that’s what charged the batteries of ‘Sita Ramam’. Mrunal Thakur as a princess who’s smitten with a soldier (portrayed by Dulquer Salmaan) walked away with all the claps and tears.

Since the success of ‘Pelli Choopulu’ (2016), at least one rom-com has made it to the top-ten year after year – ‘Fidaa’ in 2017, ‘Chi La Sow’ and ‘Sammohanam’ in 2018, ‘Majili’ in 2019, ‘Colour Photo’ in 2020, and ‘Love Story’ in 2021. Their pros and cons can be debated at length, but they have made many heads turn and that’s rare in an industry where the focus is mostly on making and promoting action blockbusters.

The storyline of ‘Sita Ramam’ is as old as a conflict between any two warring nations. But its aesthetics are pleasing and it’s akin to walking into a restaurant where paintings from an earlier era find niche places on the carefully designed walls. The soul of a romance movie usually rests in the cocoon of a happily-ever-after. Nevertheless, over the years, that has changed drastically. All kinds of love stories are being appreciated now as long as the products have something unique to offer.

If there’s comfort in watching two actors reunite every once in a while, like, say, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, there’s joy in placing a bet on a fresh pair. What they bring to the table as a couple is, obviously, just as important as what they’re leaving the viewers with; in ‘Sita Ramam’, it’s more of a heavy heart since the characters don’t get to relive their fantasy after getting separated for two decades.

Romance offers hope

Now that it’s out on OTT, it has once again risen to the top of the headlines. If murder mysteries offer keen observers a bunch of clues to unlock the missing piece of the puzzle, romantic comedies offer hope – these are the two genres that never go out of fashion (if done correctly). Hollywood’s ‘The Shop Around the Corner’ (1940) is just as relevant today as it was back then. Similarly, there are other movies in other languages, such as ‘Geetha’ (1981) in Kannada and ‘Mouna Ragam’ (1986) in Tamil.

A story that revolves around love needs to come from a place that’s far away from despair. Even when its protagonists are middle-aged, as in the case of the delightful ‘C/o Kancharapalem’ (2018), the conversations should be free-flowing and expand beyond the contours of amorous advances. When a woman asks a man if he believes in God, in ‘C/o’, the latter replies that he believes in the goodness of people. And in ‘Sita Ramam’, when Ram (Salmaan) dives into a monologue about the salary he makes with which he’ll be able to look after Sita (Thakur), it turns funny because he doesn’t know that he’s talking about a paltry sum to a princess. These are some of the important scenes that’ll linger on the edges of the minds long after the end credits show up.

Although ‘Ante Sundaraniki’ also falls into the same category of memorable films, it somehow didn’t set the box office on fire. For now, it’s best to tune into the beauty of ‘Inthandham’ and revel in the antics of a young, carefree couple who think that all the world is theirs to cherish.