The many Ramayanas: History, politics and the stories beyond Valmiki's epic | THE WEEK Special

Few stories have been retold as often, or in as many different ways, as the Ramayana. As director Nitesh Tiwari prepares to bring the epic to the big screen, we look beyond the upcoming film to explore the extraordinary journey of the Ramayana through Indian history, cinema, culture and politics. From Ramanand Sagar's iconic 1987 television serial and N.T. Rama Rao's cinematic portrayal to the many regional, literary and alternative retellings of the epic, the Ramayana has never been just one story. Senior Correspondent Shubhangi Shah explores how an ancient epic became a religious text, a cultural tradition, and a story that continues to be reimagined across generations.