Ramayana: The Legend Of Prince Ram, Why Did Japanese Director, Yugo Sako Used Animation Not Actors?

Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama was first introduced to the Indian audience in the 1990s, and even to this day, it holds a special place in the hearts of every Indian cinephile. Whenever the topic is Ramayana and its best depiction in a movie or TV show, The Legend of Prince Rama makes it to the upper half of the list. Despite being an animated movie, it is one of the most compelling depictions of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita's life stories. What's interesting is the fact that Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama was co-directed by famous Japanese filmmaker, Yoga Sako, along with Ram Mohan and Koichi Sasaki. 

A look at the daunting legacy of the Indo-Japanese anime film, Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama

Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama started trending on social media, soon after the first look of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana was dropped on the internet. The two-part film stars Ranbir Kapoor (Lord Ram), Sai Pallavi (Goddess Sita), Ravie Dubey (Lord Laxman), Yash (Ravana), Sunny Deol (Lord Hanuman), and many prominent actors in leading roles. Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman have joined hands for Ramayana's score. The eight-time Oscar-winning studio, DNEG handles the film's visual effects.

Amidst all the buzz around the film, netizens were quick to go back in time and appreciate the film, Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, for its visuals and graphics. Some netizens on social media even took a humorous dig at Adipurush, stating that Yoga Sako's animated film was far better than Om Raut's film, which was made for Rs. 550 crores. Even after so many years of its release in India, Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama was re-released across the country on January 24, 2025, in multiple languages. 

Who is Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama's director, Yugo Sako? Japanese filmmaker's meeting with Dr. Braj Basi Lal inspired the film

In this piece, we will explore some interesting details about Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, its Japanese filmmaker, Yugo Sako, and more. Starting with the man behind this masterpiece, Yugo Sako, was a renowned director who had also worked as a screenwriter and producer throughout his career. However, there's not much information about his filmography on the internet, other than his iconic animated film, Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama. It's fair to say that Ramayana was the project that brought him worldwide fame, as the film was screened in a series of international film festivals.

Talking about how Yugo Sako came across the story of Ramayana and why he decided to make a film about it. For the uninitiated, after working in the famous Japanese broadcasting corporation, Kyokai, Yugo Sako started working as a freelance creator. It was in 1970 when he got the chance to visit India and instantly fell in love with its culture. Howver, he once again travelled to India in 1983, and on this occasion, he crossed paths with the iconic archaeologist, Dr. Braj Basi Lal.

Yugo Sako spent a lot of time with Dr. B. B. Lal and learnt a lot of things about the Ramayana as they were working together on a documentary film, The Ramayana Relics. During this project, Yugo Sako read 10 different versions of Ramayana in Japanese and decided to adapt it into an animation film. The Japanese filmmaker received support from the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) for adapting the Ramayana into an animation film. Although the VHP was initially opposed to his idea due to some misunderstandings about his vision, Yugo Sako clarified it and received approval from them.

Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama was banned in India due to the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition incident

According to multiple reports, Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama was made on a budget of 6.7 million USD. It was around the mid-1980s when Yugo Sako began preparing to make Ramayan, and the film took almost a decade to complete. The filmmaker recruited 450 artists and collaborated with Ram Mohan and Koichi Sasaki to produce the film. The film was completed in 1993 and screened at numerous international film festivals before being released in India in 1997. Well, the reason behind it is the tension that was quite intense in India due to the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition.

Why did Japanese filmmaker, Yugo Sako not make Ramayana a live-action film instead of an animated film?

Following the surreal success of Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama in Japan, India, and various parts of the world, the film's director, Yugo Sako, was frequently asked why he hadn't made it a live-action film. Once, in a conversation with a leading publication, Yugo Sako clearly stated that he doesn't think that any actor in the world can depict the true essence of Ramayana. He said:

"Ram is God, I felt it was best to depict him in animation, rather than by an actor."

Yugo Sako will always be remembered for generations to come because his film will teach many things about the Ramayana to younger kids. For the uninitiated, Yugo Sako passed away on April 24, 2012, at the age of 84 in Tokyo due to aspiration pneumonia. However, not everyone is aware of the fact that at the time of his death, he was working on the story of a film titled Lord Krishna, the Celestial Cowherd. Unfortunately, he couldn't complete it, and the world couldn't witness his genius once more after the success of Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama.

What are your thoughts on Yugo Saka's Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama? Let us know.

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