Review: Arjun is India's best animation film

Film: Arjun: The Warrior Prince (Animation)
Director: Arnab Chaudhuri
Cast: Yudhveer Bakoliya, Vijay Kashyap, Ashok Banthia, Ravi Khanwilkar, Ila Arun & others       
Rating: ***
 
The titular hero is a figure from the epic Mahabharata, one of the Pandavas. As expected, Arjun: The Warrior Prince seeks to tell the story of the mythological hero, Arjun known to be the most courageous.
 
A village woman narrates the story of Arjun to a brave, young boy. As the legend goes, Arjun was trained in martial and military arts by his guru Dronacharya. The friction between the Pandavas and Kauravas forms the crux of Arjun: The Warrior Prince. His brilliant archery skills win him Draupadi’s hand at a swayamwar, presided over by Draupadi’s father, King of Panchal. After an embarrassing losing spree at a game of dice, designed by the scheming Shakuni Mama, Arjun bets Draupadi. He loses her to cousin Duryodhana and the Pandavas are sent to 13 years in exile.
 
Arnab Chaudhuri’s direction is superior, so is the detailing in the quality animation. The swayamwar scene is breathtakingly gorgeous, with an underwater sequence where Arjun hits the goldfish’s eye lobbing it straight to the sky. Animation films based on mythological figures (Lava-Kusa, Ashoka) in the past couple of years haven’t been technologically and visually very appealing. Comparatively, Arjun: The Warrior Prince makes a mark with respect to storytelling and technical elegance. We may not be at the level of the Ups and Toy Storys yet, but the progress is pleasant. Vishal-Shekhar’s music sets the tone right for the battle hero and his brothers.
 
The story will have an instant connect with the older audience. Chaudhuri cleverly uses action sequences to keep one gripped. He takes a mythological story and presents it as an all out action flick, which is educational and enjoyable for kids and adults alike. Yudhveer Bakoliya lends his voice to Arjun, while Vijay Kashyap’s Shakuni Mama is less scheming and adds comic relief.
 
Let your kids absorb the story, while you can marvel at this step forward for the Indian animation film industry. It’s a great way to have fun while you learn.