A half-billion-dollar cinematic spectacle centered on gods, avatars and an ancient Hindu epic is preparing to hit theaters. What is interesting about this? Its central figure is one Jonathan Cahn specifically examines in his book, The Avatar.
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is shaping up to be far more than another international film release. According to The Week, actor and co-producer Yash said the two-part project carries an investment of roughly 40 billion rupees, or about $500 million, encompassing both films as well as major expenses such as visual effects, global distribution and international marketing.
The enormous investment puts the project on an unprecedented scale for Indian cinema.
And audiences are already paying attention.
Sony Pictures released a new English-language trailer Oct. 15, quickly drawing millions of views as the film prepares to hit theaters in November.
Yet behind the visual effects, star power and extraordinary financial investment lies something Christians may want to understand: The movie brings the ancient Hindu concept of the avatar directly onto the global entertainment stage.
According to Sony Pictures, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend tells the story of Rama, “a prince bound by sacrifice,” and Ravana, “an immortal king driven by vengeance,” whose destinies are connected by prophecy. The film stars Kapoor as Rama, Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita.
The story is based on the Ramayana, the ancient Hindu epic attributed to Valmiki. Rama is traditionally revered within Hinduism as an avatar, or incarnation, of the deity Vishnu.
That connection becomes particularly striking in light of what Cahn explores in The Avatar.
“The word avatar is associated with one god more than any other—the god Vishnu,” Cahn writes in the book.
He goes further, writing, “Among all the gods in the Hindu pantheon, Vishnu is especially known for manifesting in the form of avatars.”
Cahn calls Vishnu “the god of avatars,” but the connection to the upcoming blockbuster does not end there.
To order Jonathan Cahn’s bestselling book, The Avatar, visit Amazon.com.
Writing about Vishnu and the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, Cahn explains that Hindu tradition associates the two with incarnations descending into the world. He specifically identifies Sita as an avatar associated with Lakshmi and describes Rama as “Vishnu’s warrior-king avatar.”
Those aren’t obscure characters hiding somewhere in the background of the new movie. In fact, Rama and Sita are at the center of it.
In The Avatar, Cahn recounts traveling to India and preaching the gospel before an enormous gathering. Cahn writes that it was estimated more than 70,000 people prayed to receive salvation during the final night of the gathering.
He also describes a startling incident from this immense trip.
According to Cahn’s account, he lifted a shofar before the crowd and explained its biblical connection with freedom. He then prayed for God’s power to “break any bondage” in the lives of those gathered.
Then he blew the trumpet.
Cahn writes that waves of screams began coming from the crowd. When he sounded the shofar again, he says the screams came again.
“It was as if the trumpet blast had triggered a mass deliverance,” Cahn writes, describing the extraordinary scene as appearing like “some kind of colossal exorcism.”
This particular story is what makes the arrival of Ramayana on the big screen noteworthy. The word “avatar” has become so embedded in Western culture that millions associate it with movies and video games. Yet, it actually carries a spiritual weight behind it.
That makes the question Cahn poses at the beginning of The Avatar particularly timely:
“Could the avatars, in some way or form, actually exist in the modern world?”
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
