Sony Pictures released two different versions of Nitesh Tiwari’s mythological blockbuster an English-dubbed cut and an original Hindi cut. The two versions not only differ in language but also in runtime and content.
The movie features as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Rocking Star Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman.
Runtime: The English-dubbed version is almost half an hour shorter than the Hindi original. The English-dubbed version runs 166 minutes (about 2 hours and 46 minutes), while the original Hindi version is nearly 30 minutes longer (around 195 minutes), according to Indiwire.com. The two films are mostly identical for about the first two hours.
Content Cuts: The makers removed some make-or-break material from the English-dubbed version. The shorter English release eliminates key dramatic scenes.
For instance, when Rama and Sita meet and talk for the first time, Rama’s three brothers can also be seen flirting with various women around the palace, as the prince mentions only wanting to marry Sita if his siblings can be married on the same day. This is absent in the English version, as are shots of the additional three weddings during Rama and Sita’s ceremony.
“In a subplot wholly absent from the English cut, a royal procession reaches Rama’s humble hut, where Bharat — who knew nothing of the palace conspiracy to replace Rama as king — informs him of their father’s death. In the English version, it’s never clear when, if ever, Rama learns about this major development (which even comes up in the film’s concluding scene), leaving viewers to intuit that it probably happened off screen. However, this isn’t even the only problem the Bharat Milap solves,” the report noted.
Sound and Performance: Reviewers observed that the English dub uses claustrophobic studio mixing for dialogue, whereas the Hindi original features more natural vocal reverb and emotionally grounded performances from a cast led by Ranbir Kapoor (Rama), Sai Pallavi (Sita), and Yash (Ravana).
AI-Assisted lip-syncing: AI-assisted lip-syncing to match the actors’ mouth movements gives the English performances a stilted quality, Indiwire.com reported. The report flagged “exaggerated lip movements” and stated that the English dialogue itself is “clunky and emotionally restricting.”
