Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley (available on Youtube) is one show that has got me excited. For once.
It made me laugh, gawk at the graphics, nod in agreement and connect with other thots put forth. Though I’ve never been crazy about “the blues”, the music is kinda cool.
Christmas Carol that was released here in Malaysia recently, pales in comparison. That was like having bread and butter, whereas Sita Sings the Blues is more of a fantasy feast.
Devout Hindus will immediately be able to link Sita to that lovey-dovey couple - Sita and Rama from the Ramayana. Having said that, I also know that most of the Hindus that I know are only familiar with the bare outline of the epic. Why read a version with all the details when you can grasp the basics from a summarized version in 10 minutes or less?
Today’s emphasis is constantly on Rama (the really good guy) defeating Ravana (the bad dude from your first nightmare) who had abducted his wife (Sita, the beautiful one who had sacrificed all to live in the forest with hubby). This is usually linked up to Deepavali, the festival that marks Ravana’s defeat with traditional clay lamps.
I admit that my reading of Hindu related material is somewhat limited. I knew that Rama had doubted Sita’s “virtue”, forcing her to take on a stringent test involving fire. What I didn’t know (shame on me) was that
he had dumped her much later even though she had passed the fire test. There’s no pleasing some people!
All this was done to keep up his good image, making her suffer unnecessarily once again in the forest for donkey years. Not unlike some cold blooded politicians / public figures who want to retain their image. Did I just spoil the show for you by telling you what’s going to happen? Tough! Well, there is something else that I won't tell you.
Nina Paley’ who put the whole show together, says in an interview
“The aspect of the story that I focus on is the relationship between Sita and Rama, who are gods incarnated as human beings, and even they can't make their marriage work [laughs].”
When I watched it, a couple of things crossed my mind.
How over the years not many (at least not in my corner of the world) have highlighted Sita’s struggles. Is it because till today most of the Indian productions (i.e. those made in India) are dominated by men, who would not be too keen on highlighting this aspect? Perhaps they are like Rama in ways than they would not care to admit.
Or is it the audience who doesn’t want to have that image of Sita and Rama as the perfect couple being marred.
Nina Paley does have a point. If the Gods (reincarnated) can’t make their marriage work, then who can?
Okay, if you’re bored with the issues raised, don’t trouble your pretty little head with them. Just watch it cos it’s a whole lot of fun.
Oh yeah, one more thing.
If you’re devout Hindu, try not to take some of the interpretations of the Ramayana and the characters in it to heart. Relax, it’s just one person’s interpretations.
Have fun singing the blues with Sita!
