This is a film by Benoy K Behl, whose films I have featured many times in this series. Here he looks at the idealised prince Rāma, and how even to this day his story in told all over India and SE Asia.
We see extracts of performances of the Rāma story from many different countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and from different traditions in India. The story is widespread and still taught to schoolchildren, and is known from temple art and poetry as well as performance.
We also hear from various people in the west and Asia who have studied the story and its impact on the lives and culture of the peoples of Asia, where it has become part of the cultural fabric even of Buddhist and Muslim countries throughout the region.
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