Amidst unprecedented hype, Adipurush finally hits the big screen today. The Highly anticipated film is based on the mythological epic Ramayana. It stars Prabhas in the role of Raghava, Kriti Sanon as Janaki, Sunny Singh as Lakshmana, Devdatta Nage as Bajrang, Vatsal Sheth as Meghanadha and Saif Ali Khan as Ravana.
Story
The pre-Lord Ram’s (Prabhas) Vanvas phase is briefly recapped, where Lankesh “Ravana” (Saif Ali Khan) is receiving his boon from his great-grandfather Lord Brahma. Shurpanakha, the sister of Lankesh, tries to ask Lord Rama to marry her even though she is already married to Sita (Kriti Sanon), and as a result, loses her nose to him. After this the war between the two Giants starts, leading Lankesh to kidnap Sita in the disguise of a Sadhu (Saint) and provoking Raghav to come for him with rage. The remainder of the film centers on Lord Rama’s meeting with Hanuman with the victory over Ravana and the rescue of Sita.
Review
With Modern technology, the director Om Raut has tried to display the familiar tail of Yuddha Kanda of the Ramayana in a new way in the movie Adipurush but has failed terribly. The screenplay is a disorganized muddle that persists throughout the entire movie. Poor dialogues and the forced aspects of the film are quite a letdown. The story was intended to be the film’s USP, but because it is so personal to each of us, it will eventually hurt you after a point of time.
Despite all the setbacks, Ajay & Atul were the only two team members to receive the assignment, continuing to produce a killer soundtrack. The background score by this team is the only reason why this movie can shine to reach at some point at the box office.
Were Characters able to Connect?
With the characters already feeling strange names like Raghava and Janaki instead of Ram and Sita further alienating them, the viewer fails to empathize with the protagonists’ feelings. The casting is also suspect. Prabhas is a great actor and a major celebrity, but he’s too glum to play Rama. His eyes lack the delicate and sympathetic touch that most Indians associate with Lord Rama. He is at ease when Rama is a warrior, but stumbles when the character’s sensitive side is revealed.
Kriti Sanon is gorgeous, yet she appears too modern to be Sita, however, she nailed it with her dialogue in her limited screen time. Ravana, if handled correctly, may have been the film’s redeeming grace. Saif Ali Khan makes a great effort, but director Om Raut treats him poorly. ‘Ravana’ is fully villainized without presenting his other side, which many describe as a “great scholar and the most intelligent person of his time.” Instead of focusing on numerous nuanced aspects, authors follow the standard approach of selling this as a hero VS villain plot to masala fry the narration.
Conclusion
Adipurush might have been the film that the Indian cinema desired – a model of how to create a modern epic based on our country’s rich culture. In the end, it’s a scarcely watchable muddle because the filmmakers failed to recognize that grandeur isn’t required to depict a simple story like Ramayana. You must understand the core emotions, which Adipurush lacks.
