India, Nov. 5 -- Probably every Indian has heard it, seen it, acted in a school play or read about it: the Ramayana. 39 years ago, Ramanand Sagar's television adaptation brought the entire country to a standstill every Sunday. People tell me how they would drop everything to sit in front of the television, with streets practically deserted during the show's time slot. The cultural impact of that adaptation is difficult to replicate. Delivering something that can stand alongside a legacy of this magnitude is a Herculean task.

Does Namit Malhotra's Ramayana: Part 1 have the bravado to pull it off? In short: yes.

The story is based on Valmiki's Ramayana, and here, it starts off with Raavan's backstory. It sets the stage up for a visual and...