The aerial battle between Jatayu and Ravana is among the highlights of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana. The climax sequence also showed what DNEG—the Oscar-winning visual effects studio—alongside its sister company ReDefine and parent group Prime Focus Studios, is truly capable of.
Jatayu's heroics are well documented, but the iconic face-off scenes in the movie have gained the mythical bird an even greater fan following. The Bird King is unlikely to make a comeback in the second instalment of the Hindu epic as the first part concluded with his funeral.
However, we may get to see another big bird on screen as Sampathi—Jatayu's elder brother—also plays a pivotal role in the saga to rescue the abducted Sita.
Jatayu and Sampathi
According to the epic, Jatayu and Sampathi were the sons of Aruna—the charioteer of the Sun God. In their prime, both brothers were majestic birds—swift, fierce, and enormous. One day, the brothers raced towards the sun for fun—in an effort to find out who among them was the fastest (This detail of the story, however, varies).
Jatayu, young and reckless, pushed beyond his limits and began getting dangerously close to the sun. He started getting weakened by the heat, but refused to give up. Sampathi understood his younger brother was close to making a lethal mistake and rushed to his rescue. He quickly spread his enormous wings to protect Jatayu from the rays of the sun. In the process, Sampathi's wings were charred, but he managed to save his brother's life as they crashed down.
The fall separated the brothers, and Sampathi never flew again for centuries as he lived in the Vindhya mountain ranges—needing help even to eat.
Meanwhile, Rama and Lakshmana form a bond with the Vanara King Sugreeva after killing King Bali (Vali). Sugreeva's Vanaras (monkeys) soon join the effort to find Sita. But his scouts have little success to report back until an exhausted search party led by Angada, Hanuman, and Jambavan reaches the southern tip of India.
Their disappointment and despair result in a conversation mentioning Jatayu's sacrifice. They feared the great bird's death would be for nothing if they failed in their mission. Overhearing Jatayu's name from a nearby cave in the Mahendra mountains, the wingless Sampathi emerged. Deeply grieved to learn of his younger brother's demise, Sampathi vowed to help Rama's army.
Despite having lost his wings, Sampathi still possessed extraordinary eyesight. Gazing far across the southern ocean, Sampathi spotted Sita sitting captive in the Ashoka Vatika in Lanka. This was invaluable information for Rama's camp and ultimately led to their crossing of the sea and the war on Lanka.
Will Nitesh Tiwari's 'Ramayana: Part 2' feature Sampati?
The moment Sampathi pointed the Vanaras towards Lanka, his purpose was fulfilled. Proving a prophecy true, the old bird grew new wings, restoring him to his former glory.
Many previous adaptations of Ramayana have shown Sampathi. However, it remains unclear whether he will feature in the second part of the Bollywood movie. While Meghnad, Hanuman, and Lanka's Asura army have been teased, many other important characters remain under wraps.
