Animation, Agency and Authority in Nina Paley’s Sita Sings the Blues and the Ramayana of Valmiki

Abstract

This article, “Animation, Agency and Authority...” by Ann Branan Horak, critically examines Sita Sings the Blues, a modern animated adaptation of the Rāmāyaṇa. Horak explores how Nina Paley reclaims Sita’s voice and challenges religious orthodoxy by using animation to retell sacred stories through feminist and artistic lenses, offering new perspectives on agency and devotion.