In 1964, during the backdrop ofOperation Gibraltar,Pakistani extremist Ansari seeks to incitecommunal violence inKashmir by sending radicalized teenagers to pose as locals.Lieutenant Ram, an orphan serving in theIndian Army, earns recognition when he prevents riots by exposing Ansari’s plan. Aradio broadcast invites the public to write to him, and he begins receiving letters, including one from a woman signing as Sita Mahalakshmi, who affectionately claims to be his wife.
Intrigued, Ram sets out to find her. On a train toHyderabad he meets the writer, later identified as Princess Noor Jahan, who had used apseudonym. They grow close despite her family arranging her marriage to the Prince ofOman. When their relationship becomes public, Noor admits her love for Ram and renounces her royal privileges.
Ram is soon assigned to acovert operation inPakistan to eliminate Ansari. After completing the mission, he is captured along with fellow officer Vishnu Sharma. Pakistani General Abu Tariq arranges the release of only one prisoner, and Ram persuades Vishnu to return to India. Subsequent attacks on Indian bases lead to Ram being accused oftreason, and he is laterexecuted in prison for refusing to betray his country.
In 1985, Afreen, a Pakistani student inLondon, learns through her grandfather Tariq’s will that she must deliver Ram’s final letter to Sita in Hyderabad to claim her inheritance. Tracing their story with the help of her Indian classmate Balaji, she discovers that she is Waheeda, the sister of one of Ansari’s recruits whom Ram had once tried to protect. The letter reveals that Ram knew of Sita’s true identity and remained loyal to India until his death.
Afreen delivers the letter to Sita, who has lived with Ram’s memory ever since. The revelation clears his name, and Sita receives a posthumous honor for his service. Afreen reconciles with her past and works to restore Ram’s reputation.
DirectorHanu Raghavapudi conceived the idea forSita Ramam in 2007 after purchasing asecond-hand book that contained an unopened inland letter. The letter, written by a mother to her son, inquired about his well-being while he lived in a hostel. In an interview withThe Hindu, Raghavapudi explained that the discovery prompted him to imagine the narrative possibilities of a letter carrying information that could alter lives.[7] The decision to set the story against a military backdrop was later suggested by Rajkumar Kandamudi. Costume designerSheetal Sharma was engaged to design the film’s period-appropriate wardrobe.[8] The project was formally announced in July 2020, and in April 2022, its title was revealed asSita Ramam.[9][10][11]
Dulquer Salmaan was cast in the lead role of Lieutenant Ram, marking his second collaboration withVyjayanthi Movies followingMahanati (2018).[12]Mrunal Thakur was signed to portray Sita Mahalakshmi, making her debut inTelugu cinema. She replacedPooja Hegde, who had earlier been considered for the role but withdrew due to scheduling conflicts.[13]Raashi Khanna was also briefly considered for the role of Afreen, which was ultimately offered toRashmika Mandanna.[14] Playback singer and voice artistChinmayi Sripada provided dubbing for Thakur’s character.
Principal photography began in April 2021 inKashmir, with the first schedule concluding in July of that year. Major locations includedSrinagar'sDal Lake, Jalali House, and the Thajwas Glacier inSonamarg.[15][16] Subsequent filming schedules took place inRussia andHyderabad, with the final schedule completed in April 2022.[17] Certain portions of the song “Kaanunna Kalyanam” were reshot for the Tamil-language version, where the sequence was presented as “Kannukkule.”[18]
The film’s score and soundtrack were composed byVishal Chandrasekhar. Audio rights were acquired bySony Music India. The first single, “Oh Sita Hey Rama,” was released on 9 May 2022. A reprise version of “Ala Nemaliki,” titled “Inthandam Reprise” and sung by S. P. Charan, was subsequently issued as part of the album’s promotional releases.[19]
Sita Ramam was released theatrically on 5 August 2022 inTelugu, along with dubbed versions inTamil andMalayalam.[20][21] AHindi-dubbed version was later released on 2 September 2022.[22]
Theatrical distribution rights were handled regionally, withAsian Cinemas acquiring rights for theNizam area,Annapurna Studios for the Krishna andUttarandhra regions,Lyca Productions for Tamil Nadu, and Wayfarer Films forKerala.[a][29]Pen Studios secured the Hindi-language distribution rights, while Radhakrishna Entertainments distributed the film in the United States.[30][31] Worldwide theatrical rights were sold for approximately ₹18.70 crore.[32]
Amazon Prime Video acquired the film’s digital streaming rights.[33] The film premiered on the platform on 9 September 2022 in Telugu, with dubbed versions in Tamil and Malayalam.[34] The Hindi-language version premiered onDisney+ Hotstar on 18 November 2022.[35]Star Maa obtained the satellite broadcast rights.[36]
Mrunal Thakur andDulquer Salmaan, whose performances as Sita and Ram were frequently singled out for praise by critics.
Sita Ramam received critical acclaim for its performances, direction, music, cinematography, and period setting, though some criticized its pacing and narrative structure.[37] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 86% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.7/10.[38]
Manigandan K. R. ofIANS, in a review carried by Daijiworld, rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and describedSita Ramam as "a brilliantly-crafted, beautiful love story that leaves you completely overwhelmed by the time you walk out of the theatre." and praised the music, cinematography, direction of Hanu Raghavapudi (magnificent) and the acting of the leads Dulquer (fantastic performance) and Mrunal (looks the part and plays it to perfection) .[39] Neeshita Nyayapati ofThe Times of India rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as “a story that’s moving and a film that’s visually aesthetic and pleasing.”[40] Jayadeep Jayesh ofDeccan Herald also gave it 3.5 stars, noting similarities toVeer-Zaara (2004) while commending its distinct identity.[41]Idlebrain.com’s Jeevi rated the film 3 out of 5, calling it “a classy tale of eternal love,” while Priyanka Sundar ofFirstpost assigned the same rating, highlighting it as “a visually beautiful tale of love and loss.”[42][43]
Mixed reviews noted strengths in the film’s visual design and performances but expressed reservations about writing and execution. Soundarya Athimuthu ofThe Quint rated it 2.5 out of 5, describing it as “a poignant love story laced with socio-political messaging.”[44] Janani K ofIndia Today and Balakrishna Ganeshan ofThe News Minute also rated it 2.5, with Ganeshan criticizing the screenplay as uneven, though acknowledging its mythological parallels.[45][46] Manoj Kumar R. ofThe Indian Express gave it 2 stars, observing that the film “leverages the good looks of its actors to make it tolerable.”[47] Gautama Bhaskaran ofNews18 rated it 1.5 stars, calling it “a puffed-up plot, peppered with coincidences.”[48]
Other critics emphasized the film’s emotional resonance. Writing forHindustan Times, Haricharan Pudipeddi described it as “a tale of love that also takes a mature and sensitive take on the conflict between India and Pakistan.”[49] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo ofThe Hindu wrote that the film “brims with earnestness and is helped by charming performances fromDulquer Salmaan andMrunal Thakur.”[50]Manorama News’ Princy Alexander referred to it as “a heartfelt romantic tale in a strife-torn setting,” while123Telugu called it “a beautiful love story” with “scintillating performances” and “poetic writing.”[51][52]
Sita Ramam was released on 5 August 2022 and opened to strong box office results. On its first day, the film grossed approximately ₹5.25 crore (US$620,000) worldwide, including US$400,000 from the United States market.[53][54] Within nine days, it had surpassed US$1 million at the U.S. box office.[55]
The film went on to gross around ₹50 crore worldwide within ten days of release, and it was widely reported as a commercial success.[56] The Hindi-dubbed version, released a month later on 2 September 2022, earned ₹8.19 crore domestically.[57]
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