Some movies don’t fade after the credits. People bring them up years later, not because of plot twists, but because they remember how it felt. Sita Ramam is that kind of film, the one that makes you miss handwritten letters, quiet bravery, and the idea that kindness can survive even in tense times.
Released in 2022, this period romantic drama is set mainly around the mid-1960s, with a second timeline in the 1980s that reframes what you think you know. It’s a love story with an army backdrop, but it’s also about choices, identity, and the ripple effect of a single message sent to the right person.
This is a spoiler-light review covering the story setup, performances, music, visuals, pacing, who will enjoy it, and where you can stream it in the US.
Sita Ramam movie review in one glance (story, setting, and vibe)
At its simplest, Sita Ramam is about a soldier, a set of letters, and a mystery that refuses to stay buried.
Lieutenant Ram, posted in Kashmir, starts receiving letters from a woman who claims to be his wife. The letters are personal, warm, and oddly grounding for someone living a life built on orders and uncertainty. Years later, Afreen, a young woman with sharp edges and her own baggage, is asked to deliver an old letter, a task that slowly pulls her into a story she didn’t plan to care about.
Here are the basics most people want upfront:
| Detail | Quick answer |
|---|---|
| Title | Sita Ramam |
| Year | 2022 |
| Language | Telugu (with dubbed versions available) |
| Genre | Period romantic drama, war backdrop |
| Runtime | About 2 hours 43 minutes (163 minutes) |
| Setting | 1964 to 1965, plus a 1985 framing timeline |
The vibe is old-fashioned in a good way. It’s soft, sincere, and built on longing rather than loud conflict. If you’ve ever reread a message from someone you miss, you’ll understand the mood immediately.
What the movie is really about: love, duty, and kindness across borders
Under the romance, the film keeps returning to one idea: who you choose to be when it’s easier to hate.
Ram’s world is shaped by duty, routine, and the constant reminder that tomorrow isn’t promised. The letters bring him something rare, a sense that he’s seen as a person, not just a uniform. On the other side, Sita’s presence carries a calm strength. She isn’t written as a fantasy; she feels like someone with her own rules and self-respect.
There’s also a cross-border angle that touches India and Pakistan, but the film doesn’t turn into a lecture. Instead, it focuses on small human moments: the way suspicion can soften, the way a decent gesture can disarm anger, the way a single relationship can challenge a lifetime of assumptions.
It’s less about politics and more about what happens when people stop treating each other like labels.
How the two timelines work (and why it matters for the emotional payoff)
The story moves between two tracks.
One is the 1964 to 1965 thread, where you watch a romance grow alongside military life. The other is set in 1985, where Afreen’s “delivery mission” becomes a path through unanswered questions, family history, and the consequences of choices made long ago.
This structure can feel slower at first, especially if you’re waiting for the main romance to take center stage. But the framing matters. It gives the film a built-in sense of fate, like you’re reading a sealed envelope and already feel the weight of what’s inside. By the time the timelines start clicking together, the emotional impact lands harder because you’ve seen how many lives are touched by one story.
Performances and characters that make Sita Ramam work
A love story like this can’t survive on pretty visuals alone. It needs actors who can make small moments feel true, the kind of truth that shows up in eye contact, pauses, and restraint.
That’s where Sita Ramam shines. The characters are written with clear motivations, and the cast plays them with sincerity instead of melodrama. Even when the film leans into a storybook tone, the performances keep it grounded.
The supporting roles also help a lot. You feel an ecosystem around the leads, fellow soldiers, friends, family figures, and people who carry their own regrets. The result is a world that feels lived-in rather than staged for romance.
Critical reactions often return to that sense of earnestness, and reviews like The Hindu’s take on the film’s old-world romance capture why the performances and tone clicked with so many viewers.
Dulquer Salmaan as Lieutenant Ram: calm, charming, and quietly heroic
Dulquer Salmaan plays Ram with a steady hand. He doesn’t act like a larger-than-life “movie soldier.” He feels like a real person who’s learned to keep his emotions folded neatly, until a letter forces them open.
His charm is gentle, not flashy. Ram comes off principled without sounding preachy, and romantic without turning syrupy. That balance is harder than it looks. The character is also shaped by loneliness (he’s an orphan), and Dulquer sells that ache in simple ways: the way he listens, the way he reads, the way he chooses politeness even when life isn’t polite back.
You root for him because he doesn’t demand your attention. He earns it.
Mrunal Thakur as Sita Mahalakshmi and Rashmika Mandanna as Afreen: heart and contrast
Mrunal Thakur brings warmth and poise to Sita. She plays her with sincerity, but also with backbone. Sita isn’t just a symbol of “perfect love.” She has standards, boundaries, and a quiet boldness that makes her feel like an equal partner in the romance.
Rashmika Mandanna’s Afreen, in contrast, feels more modern in tone. She starts skeptical and guarded, the kind of person who acts tough because softness has never felt safe. Watching her move from irritation to involvement is one of the film’s best choices, because it gives the audience a proxy. Afreen asks the questions you’d ask, doubts what you’d doubt, then slowly finds herself changed by what she discovers.
The contrast between these two timelines helps the story breathe. When the 1960s romance risks becoming too dreamy, Afreen’s sharper energy pulls it back into the real world.
Music, visuals, and direction: why the film feels so cinematic
Some films feel like they were made for a big screen, even when you watch them on a couch. Sita Ramam has that quality because its craft choices are consistent.
Director Hanu Raghavapudi leans into a clean, classic style of storytelling. The emotions are direct, the frames are composed with care, and the film trusts stillness. It wants you to sit with feelings instead of racing to the next plot point.
This also means the movie doesn’t behave like a modern action-driven romance. It gives scenes time to settle, like letting ink dry on paper. If you’re in the mood for that pace, it’s absorbing.
Songs and background score by Vishal Chandrasekhar: emotion without forcing it
The music supports the film’s core idea: longing, hope, and the private world inside a letter. Songs don’t show up just to pad runtime. They’re used to deepen the romance, often capturing what characters can’t say out loud.
The background score does a lot of quiet lifting too. It signals tenderness without pushing you to cry. When the film gets emotional, it usually earns it through build-up rather than sudden manipulation.
If you love film music that feels like a memory, this soundtrack will probably stay in your head for days.
Cinematography and period details: letters, uniforms, and postcard-like frames
Visually, the film goes for a soft, nostalgic look. The lighting often feels warm, like late afternoon sun. Letters, uniforms, and small period details are treated with respect, not as props, but as part of the mood.
The locations also help sell the time period. You get that “postcard” feeling without losing the sense that these are places where people live and work. The army portions have discipline and structure, while the romantic portions carry a gentler texture.
It’s a storybook romance, but it stays close enough to human behavior that it doesn’t float away.
Is Sita Ramam worth watching today? (pacing, pros and cons, and best audience)
Yes, if you like emotional storytelling and don’t mind a longer runtime.
The film’s biggest strengths are clear: the central romance, the performances, the music, and the message that decency matters even when the world is tense. It also has strong rewatch value because the framing timeline changes how you read early moments.
That said, it won’t work for everyone. The movie is long, and the pacing can feel stretched in parts, especially if you’re not invested in the 1985 thread early on. There are also tonal shifts between romance and army scenes that some viewers may find uneven.
Think of it like a long letter itself. It’s not rushing to get to the point. It wants you to feel the pauses.
What you will love and what might not work for you
If you’re deciding whether to hit play, here’s a plain way to think about it:
You’ll probably love it if you enjoy slow-burn romance, emotional payoffs, and stories built around letters, memory, and quiet sacrifice.
It might not be your pick if you prefer tight thrillers, fast pacing, or movies that wrap everything up quickly.
In tone, it’s generally family-friendly. It deals with conflict and war context, but it isn’t built on graphic shock. The emotional intensity is higher than the visual intensity.
Ratings, recognition, and where to stream in 2026
In terms of audience response, Sita Ramam has held strong word-of-mouth since its release, with viewers often praising its romance, music, and visuals. IMDb scores change over time, but the film is commonly discussed as sitting in the low-8 range; it’s best to verify the current number directly on IMDb if that matters to you.
Box office totals and award tallies can also vary by source, and reliable up-to-date figures weren’t consistently available across the sources at hand. What’s easy to say without stretching the truth is that the film performed well enough to become a widely recommended modern romance in Indian cinema circles, including among US-based viewers who follow Telugu and pan-Indian releases.
For US streaming in January 2026, availability can shift by region and licensing. The simplest way to confirm where it’s currently playing is to check a tracker like JustWatch’s US listing for Sita Ramam. Many viewers also find it through Prime Video, depending on their account and location.
Conclusion
Sita Ramam is worth your time if you want a heartfelt period romance with strong performances, memorable music, and a simple message about choosing kindness. It’s not a short watch, and the framing timeline asks for patience, but the payoff is the kind that lingers.
If you’ve seen it already, what stayed with you most: a scene, a song, or the way the ending made you feel?