This was such a cute movie. I have friends who are very into Bollywood, and the Hindu culture in general, but I've never been able to crack that nut. I wasn't terribly sure where to start and it seemed very daunting. But this was just adorable. Based on the story of the Ramayana, this animated film tells the parallel stories of Sita and Nina. Sita is the wife of Rama, a hero of ancient Ayodha, who finds herself cast out by her husband after being kidnapped by a rival king. Nina is a modern woman who finds her husband, Dave, increasingly distant after his job takes him to India. Animated in a mix of styles, the film blends the two stories together along with blues numbers sung by Sita (recordings by 20's blues singer Annette Hanshaw) and a cultural commentary by three talking heads. It gets a little chaotic but that just adds to the fun of it.
Nina Paley, the director, writer, and animator, clearly had a lot of love for the subject despite not being raised in the culture. It sparked controversy in India from Hindu and Muslim groups who believe that the story is misrepresentative of Rama and amounts to racism. I think there's a fine line between appreciating and embracing other peoples' cultures and trying to appropriate them for yourself. In my opinion, this movie is far more of the former than the latter, but I'm not Indian, Hindu, or Muslim. You'd have to see it and judge for yourself.
The movie is in English with the options for subtitles in French, Spanish and LOLcat. I am so not even kidding.
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