The Indian epic poem Mahabharata , regarded as one of the longest works in all of literature, is about to become one of the longest works in all of cinema. Veteran Bollywood producer-director Ravi Chopra has told Indian reporters that the film, reportedly budgeted at $28 million -- an extraordinary amount for an Indian production -- will run more than 6 hours. "It will be unjust to tell the most beautiful story of the world in three hours," he said. Chopra said that his plan is to screen the first three hours of the film on one week, then screen the final three hours a week later.
Source: contactmusic.com
Thai composer Somtow Sucharitkul and Dutch director Hans Nieuwenhuis team up in an attempt to transform the epic tale of the 'Ramayana' into an opera.
Ayodhya, the latest creation of Bangkok Opera's founder and artistic director Somtow Sucharitkul, is the first opera to chronicle the entire Ramayana epic, from the abduction of Sita to her final reunion with Rama and their ascent to Mount Krilash.
Read more in the
Bangkok Post or visit the
Bangkok Opera web site.
Dadasaheb Phalke’s debut film Raja Harishchandra set the trend for mythological films in Bollywood. It was in 1913. In circa 2006, mythological and theological characters, particularly Gods and deities, are back in vogue. The similarities: stories are from religious texts and folklore, the difference: the budget and, of course, star cast.
In 2007, Rajkumar Santoshi will begin work on his magnum opus — Ramayana. With a budget of Rs 100 crore, he has roped in one of Bollywood’s most popular couple, Ajay Devgan and Kajol to play the part of Lord Rama and Sita.
Read more at
Hindustan Times.
Ravana, king of Lanka
