(ornaments clinking)
The dawn comes soon, husband.
I've just returned.
Did you learn anything?
(sighs)
I met with Hanuman.
The killer of our children.
Hanuman. Lakshman. Ram.
How I hate even the mention of their names.
Soon these names will cease to exist, Mandodari.
What I learnt will prove to be invaluable in today's battle.
Know his vulnerability?
It is Ram's love for his brother. That will be his undoing.
They need to suffer for what was done to our children.
Do not forget. They killed all that you love!
Not all.
Not you, not Vibheeshan.
Vibheeshan?
A traitor that should be executed if he ever steps foot in Lanka again.
You live in the past.
You remember a brother who no longer exists.
Just as you remember the love between us that no longer exists.
- (tense music) - (sighs)
Both you and Vibheeshan never feared speaking your true mind to me.
Perhaps that is why I valued his counsel.
Though I remember a time his counsel failed me
that led to all of this madness before us now.
Vibheeshan is responsible for this war? Tell me how.
Yes.
(joint cracks)
It happened many generations ago...
in a city of humans.
(title song)
(Ravan) We were younger then, but our ambitions were big.
My armies spread across the earth, with steel and torch in hand.
Nations fell. Ancient dynasties and entire races were wiped out.
And yet some kingdoms still defied me.
The city is called Sangadhaa, sire.
Why have you not taken it yet?
- Is it defended by the devas? - (metal thuds)
No, my Lord, it is a human city.
Humans?
Our men have crushed gods and are being humbled by humans?
How is this possible, Prahasta?
They are humans inspired by the devas, Your Majesty.
No matter how many we kill, they refuse to surrender.
Their ruler. Who is he?
His name is Trivarna.
Call off the attack.
Your Majesty?
I wish to meet this King Trivarna.
As you command.
Let me gather my most trusted warriors to accompany you.
I will go alone.
This Trivarna cannot harm me.
(stammers) My Lord, I do not think...
No. You do not think. You obey.
I'll visit this king of Sangadhaa and see what manner of man he is.
Shall I come with you, brother?
This Trivarna doesn't seem like one to easily submit.
These humans may try and kill you.
Let them try.
- (Ravan) How can I describe Sangadhaa? - (eagle screeching)
It was a pearl amongst cities.
An architectural marvel of human ambition.
One of the first human cities
I had seen with my own eyes.
Though my father was human,
as a child, we lived in solitude.
There was a strange calmness in this place.
Even with my armies at its gates, its streets were tranquil,
- (raucous crowd in background) - The people were pious.
They never faltered despite the threat of annihilation.
Inspired by their ruler, there was courage in all its people.
I began to realise
that finally amongst all mortals, here was a ruler worthy of respect.
So I bid my vimana to take me to the heart of the palace,
and I dismounted within its main courtyard.
I was made most unwelcome.
- (swords swish) - (dramatic music)
You dare threaten the glory of Sangadhaa, Demon King?
Stand down, Captain.
(armour clanking)
But, King Trivarna,
it is the dreaded Lord Ravan himself.
We have him surrounded. He's at our mercy.
I doubt Lord Ravan has ever been at anyone's mercy.
What brings you to my home, great conqueror?
I have brought gifts, King Trivarna. All I wish in return is to talk.
Then who am I to refuse so generous a request? Let us talk then.
Come along.
Thank you. Here, boy.
- Look after my sword. - (sword clangs)
Be careful.
It's heavy.
I will... (grunts)
Prepare water and food for our guest.
(epic music)
You have a beautiful home, Your Majesty.
We have been blessed by the gods.
Your devotion is quite evident. As I flew over the city,
I've rarely seen a place with so many temples.
I'm surprised you find time for anything but prayer.
Your army has given us some distraction.
But we have faith in the gods. They will deliver us from our plight.
So are the gods sending an army to aid you?
If so, they seem to be running quite late,
for your walls will fall by dawn.
Then my rakshasas will be tearing your people apart in the streets.
Is that why you came here? To frighten me into surrendering?
Listen.
Do you hear that silence beyond your city walls?
That is my doing. That is the peace I can offer you.
The gods will not save you. Only I have that power today.
You compare yourself to a god?
I hold the life and death of your people in my hands.
What is it if not the power of a god?
What is such power without the wisdom to wield it?
Wisdom is why I am here. Offering you a chance
to save your kingdom from destruction.
All I request is a small token of your fealty.
Token?
See that tree?
(eerie music)
A single mango.
Picked by you and offered to me.
As a symbol of your submission.
And for that one mango you will spare us all?
You have my word.
I have not met many humans in my journey.
There is a nobility to you and your people in Sangadhaa.
Ally with Lanka and I will make you unstoppable.
An alliance between rakshas and humans?
Who has heard of such a thing?
We shouldn't be constrained by our ancestors' narrow-minded views.
We are our own men. We create our own destiny.
No one will oppose us.
More war?
Is that all you crave?
When I hold all the stars in my hand,
- then perhaps I will say, "Enough." - (tense music)
That fruit still hangs from the branch.
Take it and we shall be forever allies.
And if I do not?
That would be foolish.
Beneath one of your intelligence.
You are a great conqueror, Lord Ravan. The whole world shakes at your armies.
What difference would I make to you and your legend?
So you think you are not worthy to fight beside me?
No. You misunderstand.
If I join forces with someone who has such disdain for life as you,
then I'd not be worthy of my people.
Watch what you say next, little king.
The fate of those same people hangs in the balance.
I see you for what you are, Lord Ravan.
You just want war and destruction. It's in your veins.
You care little for peace.
Once found, you would only burn it to the ground to taste war again.
But all of us can change. Even you.
Change?
I should change?
There is no change for men like me and you. We are rulers.
To be such is to kill and to conquer.
Not for me. I will make you a solemn vow.
Lay down your sword, and then you'll have a friend in me forever.
Renounce violence and spare the universe this pain
and you'll be greater,
more beloved than the devas themselves.
You're a dreamer, Trivarna.
When you lower your sword, another one comes for your neck.
Take the fruit.
If not for you, then for your people.
And what of my dharma?
Dharma compels all good men to oppose tyrants.
I cannot submit to you.
Good men? Tyrants?
These are labels for children, not for kings.
I see you are a fool, after all.
You can choose to end this, Lord Ravan.
Otherwise, what we suffer tomorrow,
I curse that you and Lanka will suffer a hundred-fold in the future.
You must want my sword so badly.
Don't worry, I shall make sure you have it tomorrow on the battlefield.
(heavy footsteps)
As you predicted, Vibheeshan.
I don't know whether to despise him or admire his defiance.
Surely he knows he is doomed?
That is up to you, brother.
You mean I should let him live?
Why?
Isn't conquering a kingdom of mere humans beneath the great Ravan?
Soon you will just forget this place.
Is it even worth the effort?
It is who I am, Vibheeshan.
You complicate the simplest things.
I am your king and your dharma compels you to fight.
What more do you need to know?
Dharma demands I fight a righteous cause, brother.
As it should also compel you to do.
Do you forget how the devas mocked us?
- Humiliated our people? - (joint cracks)
For the rakshas race to survive in this savage world of gods,
all must fear us, all must submit.
If our enemies see any weakness they will rise against us once more.
We must fight to live, brother.
That is righteous enough.
(Ravan) And so, Mandodari, our armies descended on Sangadhaa
with a force I rarely used on a human city.
- It was a slaughter from the start. - (people screaming in background)
That simple human, Trivarna, fought and led his men
in a way few devas ever could.
(epic music)
He was magnificent...
(thunder rumbles)
...which is why I needed to kill him myself.
(Trivarna) Onward men! Fight, brave heroes of Sangadhaa!
(Trivarna's army) For Sangadhaa! For King Trivarna!
(arrow swishes)
(Ravan) Death by sword was unbefitting one such as he.
(epic music)
I approached what I thought would be char and dust,
but Trivarna still clung to his last breaths of life.
He whispered something to me that day
- that haunts me still. - (music fades off)
- (gasps) - (footsteps)
Why didn't you just listen to me?
(groans and grunts)
Lord Ravan.
Victory is yours today.
It was inevitable that I would win.
But you haven't won. I warned you, Ravan.
(breathes heavily)
My curse, remember?
I see it now... so clearly.
You're delusional.
The visions of a dead man.
No. It's so clear to me.
I see your defeat just as mine.
I see you lying in your blood... dying...
just as I lie in mine.
And I see a human standing over you,
as you stand over me today.
Time is a wheel!
A human killing me? (scoffs)
What you see will never come to pass.
(laughing)
His face...
it is glorious.
He is a prince of mankind...
Our saviour...
Your destruction...
(grunts)
Did he say anything before he died?
Well... (scoffs)
Nothing I could understand.
(army cheers)
Another victory.
Collect his crown.
Gather the generals.
We return to Lanka.
Bring Trivarna's wives and all his offspring.
Bring them to me.
Why, Ravan?
Do not question your king.
(dramatic music)
Of course. Forgive me.
It shall be done.
(grunts)
No enemy is ever truly defeated
as long as a drop of their blood still exists somewhere, in someone.
So you believed his curse?
That a human would kill you one day?
His life was brief.
But these humans would keep expanding
unless I prevented it.
All humans needed to die.
So I first summoned his wives
and children.
I have heard of your atrocities in war, my husband.
How many wives, mothers, children have you slaughtered before?
How many bloodlines have you erased?
(grunts)
I have decided that all male humans must be erased from existence.
Every city of mankind will be conquered
and all males put to the sword.
Starting with Sangadhaa and Trivarna's heirs.
Humans are nothing to us.
Why wage war and years of conquest on those so weak?
(soldiers marching)
(woman crying)
So the baby in her arms is Trivarna's only child?
Let me have a look at him.
Please, great Lord. He is all I have.
No, dear lady. You have nothing.
Everything in your kingdom is mine.
- Give him to me. - (gasps)
(screams) No, I refuse!
Take the child from her arms.
Yes, my Lord.
(sobs)
(baby crying)
Wait. Wait.
Please be gentle with him.
How small he is.
Look. He fits in my hand.
Kill him, my Lord.
(screams) No!
Well said, brother!
You are a rakshas after all.
(baby wailing)
The universe will talk of your ruthlessness.
They'll whisper amongst themselves how the great and terrible Ravan,
the lord of all rakshasas, slew a helpless child on his throne,
then led his armies
to focus solely on destroying the humans.
Then they will ponder why.
Why was Ravan so afraid of a helpless baby in his hand?
So afraid of the human race?
And in doing so, they will become bold.
If Ravan's afraid of those so small and weak,
then how much more he must fear us,
the demons, devas and creatures of war that we are.
Fear?
When have you ever seen me afraid?
Never, my Lord.
But others will believe such things if you focus your great power
on these lowly humans.
As you once wisely taught me,
if our enemies see any weakness, they will rise against us once more.
(laughs)
I know your compassion compels you to speak to me so.
But you are right, Vibheeshan.
See how the child stares at me with his father's eyes.
He is as brave as him.
I hope he will not grow to be a fool like him, as well.
He is a helpless child, brother.
Here, woman. Take back your son.
- (baby babbling) - Thank you, my Lord! Thank you!
Vibheeshan is right.
Let all humans know that Ravan fears no one.
I welcome whatever challenge this son of Trivarna brings.
He and all the humans who dare grow brave enough to challenge me.
And now, many lifetimes later, because of Vibheeshan's words that day,
a human stands beyond my city walls
with his army of monkeys.
Had I only killed all of their kind that day...
Trivarna mocks you from the grave.
But the past is written. Nothing can change that.
Though I promise you this, my queen,
I shall crush Ram. Just as I did Trivarna, all those centuries ago.
I fear no human, god or beast.
For I am fear itself.
I...
am Ravan.