Week 5 Ramayana: Part A Sita Sings the Blues

Sita Sings the Blues was such an interesting concept and so different compared to what I read for the Ramayana. It was hilarious to watch as well as entertaining. For Part A I watched the video until the intermission at 48 minutes. I like the focus on Sita as well as the introduction of other characters such as Nina and Dave. The songs sung by Sita were a unique aspect of the video and it really made Sita more noteworthy and open as compared to the Ramayana. One part of the video I found interesting was the discussion about Ravana being a good king. I have always associated Ravana with evil and being bad, so it was interesting to see this other concept. Ultimately, he was evil being the king of the demons and kidnapping Sita, but it was still surprising to hear some good aspects. This also goes back to my point in previous reading notes where I was surprised the gods would reward demons or evil characters with boons. Ultimately it seems the most important point was having devotion and praying to the gods. The most entertaining part of the video so far was definitely the three narrators. They added humor as well as details on characters and stories I did not before. It almost seemed like it was three friends just talking about the Ramayana while having fun. The narrators gave an almost podcast vibe to the video. Another funny aspect was when Sita refused Ravana and the video made it unnecessarily dramatic. It reminded me of when I saw Indian soap operas that were also unnecessarily dramatic. Overall, the video was quite entertaining and I cannot wait to see the rest. I hope to really understand more of Nina and Dave's purpose with the video as well.

Source: Nina Paley's film, Sita Sings the Blues

Sita Sings the Blues (2008) - IMDb

Film poster of Sita sings the blues

Comments

Week 9 Story: Bhima and the Nagas

Duryodhana was a jealous warrior. He could not stand if anybody was better him, no matter the competition. From archery to running to strength training, he saw how his Pandavas cousins performed at the highest marks. However, no made Duryodhana more angry than Bhima. Now Bhima was the best of the spot. He could bench over 300 pounds, squat 450 pounds, and run a mile in less than 6 minutes. No one could match him physically and for this Duryodhana plotted to get rid of Bhima. He knew he could not do it face to face combat, so he decided to poison his food during dinner. He extracted poison from the venomous King Cobra and sprinkled onto Bhima's dinner for the night. As Bhima took his first bites, he passed out and laid asleep on the ground. Duryodhana seizing his opportunity, gagged Bhima and threw into the holy Ganges for him to forever lie. Yet, as Bhima fell into the river it was fated by the gods that he was not to die. His destiny lied far ahead in the future. Thus when Bhima...

Week 14: More Jataka Tales Part B

For Part B of Week 14 reading, I continued the Jataka Tales. Specifically for the week I read The Elephant and the Dog. What really sparked my interest to read the story was the title. As a fan of dogs and knowing the importance of elephants in Indian culture, I was curious to see how the two animals interacted in the story, and I was definitely not disappointed. I loved the heartwarming story of the dog and elephant's friendship and how they needed each other to live. It is always surprising to me how animals from different species are able to form friendships, but I think it highlights how even in animals, love and friendship has no boundary. If I were to retell the story, I would probably add a personal touch such as replacing the dog with my own dog, Max. He is a German Shepherd who loves to hang out with other dogs, so I think he quickly make friends with the elephant. Additionally, I think adding dialogue between the two animals could help showcase their friendship and add m...

Comment Wall

Shiva and Parvati with their son, Ganesha Link to Storybook

Indian Epics

Search This Blog