Reimagining Ravana: Constructing Sri Lankan Identity through the Titan Hero in Gamini Gunawardena’s “Rama and Sita” Versus the Demon King in Valmiki’s “Ramayana”

Abstract

This study explores the reimagining of Ravana in Gamini Gunawardena’s Rama and Sita versus Valmiki’s Ramayana to construct a distinct Sri Lankan identity. It challenges the dominant Indian/Hindu portrayal of Lanka as a demonic realm and its ruler, “Ravana” as an unequivocal villain in Valmiki’s Ramayana. Valmiki’s epic casts Ravana as a malevolent Rakshasa king, a symbol of unrighteousness, defeated by the divine Rama. In contrast, Gunawardena’s narrative reframes him as an atheist hero and patriotic monarch–a powerful, learned, and culturally advanced sovereign defending his land against invasion. This study investigates how Gunawardena subverts traditional portrayals by emphasizing Ravana's wisdom, his just rule within Lanka, and the tragic circumstances that led to his downfall, thereby imbuing him with heroic and patriotic qualities through a qualitative methodology. Through a comparative analysis of characterization, thematic development, and narrative perspective in both texts and a review of previous studies, this research illuminates how Gunawardena’s work reclaims Ravana as an indigenous figure embodying Sri Lankan glory and resistance. This reinterpretation serves a crucial socio-cultural function: presenting Ravana as the protagonist, not the antagonist, fosters a sense of national pride and asserts a unique cultural lineage distinct from, and often in opposition to, Indian narratives. Ultimately, this research argues that Gunawardena's reinterpretation portrays Ravana with an atheist ideology and a patriotic motivation. His abduction of Sita is presented as an act of justice for Soorpanakai, stemming from a paternalistic perspective rather than lust.