Adipurush is a 2023 Indian mythological film directed by Om Raut and produced by T-Series and Retrophiles. Based on the Hindu epic Ramayana, it features Prabhas, Kriti Sanon and Saif Ali Khan in lead roles. With its grand scale, visual effects and budget, Adipurush aimed to be a landmark film. However, it proved to be a box office disappointment due to mixed reviews. While the visual splendor and performances impressed, weak writing became its downfall. Keep Visiting Jio Rockers For Upcoming Prabhas Movie.
| Movie Name | Adipurush |
|---|---|
| Release Date | June 26, 2023 |
| Cast | Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan |
| Movie Category | Mythological Drama |
| Writer | Om Raut, Manoj Muntashir |
| Producer | Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Om Raut, Prasad Sutar, Rajesh Nair |
| Production | Retrophiles, T-Series |
| Director | Om Raut |
Epic Tale of Good vs Evil
Adipurush is a modern retelling of Ramayana where Prabhas plays Raghav, an incarnation of Lord Rama. The film follows his exile from Ayodhya into the forest with his wife Janaki (Kriti Sanon) and brother Lakshman (Sunny Singh). Their life takes a turn when the evil demon king Lankesh (Saif Ali Khan) abducts Janaki.
The narrative then depicts Raghav’s battle against Lankesh’s army and the climactic rescue of Janaki from Lanka. While the premise carried potential, substandard dialogues and execution made the age-old tale uninspiring for today’s audiences.
Underwhelming Performances
Prabhas struggled to exude the Lord Rama persona expected from his character Raghav. Kriti Sanon appeared awkward in characterization. Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh also seemed one-note and lacked nuance. Moreover, the weak VFX used to depict mythological beings made performances look artificial and unrelatable for viewers.
While Sunny Singh as Lakshman and Trupti Desai as Sita’s aide brought some stability, lead stars’ ineffective acts ruined the emotional impact.
Grand Canvas Marred by Shoddy VFX
From the sprawling forests to the grand kingdom of Ayodhya, Adipurush tried recreating Ramayana’s mythological essence through exotic sets and extravagant production design by Om Raut and Nadeem Sampara. However, the amateurish VFX work by Pankaj Malhotra diluted the visual splendor.
Be it the cartoonish-looking Vanar Sena of monkey warriors or the poorly designed Rakshasa army, the creatures came across as video game characters instead of realistic mythological beings. This made the film look more like an animated feature rather than a live-action extravaganza.
Dull Background Score
One of Adipurush’s biggest weaknesses was its lackluster background score. For a grand mythological tale, rousing and immersive music was essential to uplift emotional scenes. But Oscar-winner AR Rahman’s work lacked the grandeur associated with his reputation. Except for the chartbuster “Jai Shree Ram”, most tracks made minimal impact.
Created Pre-release Hype
Being Om Raut’s follow-up to the blockbuster Tanhaji, Adipurush generated immense buzz since announcement as Prabhas’ first pan-India film after Saaho. Teasers showcasing grand visuals increased hype.
The film also made headlines for the wrong reasons when its teaser led to widespread criticism over poor VFX. But producers remained confident of delivering a quality product.
The team’s extensive promotions through media interactions, events and promotions across cities kept the buzz steady. Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan appeared on The Kapil Sharma Show finale for promotions.
Why Adipurush Fell Short
Despite all the pre-release excitement, Adipurush failed to impress owing to multiple issues:
- Weak screenplay that could not justify the epic source material
- Lackluster dialogue and narration that lacked depth
- Amateurish VFX that made it look like an animation film
- Missing soulful music that Ramayana adaptations warrant
- Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan’s ineffective performances
- Run-time of 2 hours 36 minutes affected pace and engagement
- Lack of novelty as earlier films like Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama covered similar ground
Few Highlights Amidst Flaws
While the film had several shortcomings in writing and execution, it still offered some highlights for the audience:
- Grand production design transporting viewers into mythological times
- Some well-presented action set pieces
- Kriti Sanon added glamor as Janaki
- Few emotional high points around Raghav-Janaki’s love story
- Saif Ali Khan’s menacing act as Lankesh
- Chartbuster track “Jai Shree Ram” sequence
- Climax confrontation between Raghav and Lankesh
What Made Adipurush Special
Despite its flaws, some aspects gave Adipurush high pre-release value:
- Prabhas’ pan-India popularity after Baahubali franchise
- Epic Ramayana being retold with modern techniques
- Biggest Indian film produced on a budget of ₹400+ crore
- Based on revered Hindu mythology making it relevant
- Teaser had increased expectations of grand visuals
- Om Raut’s credibility after helming Tanhaji success
- AR Rahman’s music and renowned lyricists
- Ambitious attempt at advancing Indian VFX
Additional Aspects
- Adipurush is Om Raut’s first collaboration with Prabhas as director
- Produced by Retrophiles and T-Series
- Principal photography commenced on February 2020 but got delayed due to Covid
- Shot extensively using chroma key technology on lavish outdoor sets
- Post-production VFX works took over a year to complete
- Film was made in IMAX 3D format along with regular 2D and 4K 3D
Box Office Performance
Despite high pre-release buzz, Adipurush turned out to be a box office disaster:
- Lifetime India collection of just ₹120 crore+ against expectations of ₹200+ crore
- Declared a ‘Flop’ by trade analysts
- Weak performance across all domestic circuits barring a few mass belts
- Could not benefit from holidays orshall be plagiarism free
- Limited growth on weekdays after huge weekend
- Dull overseas performance of around $5 million
- Substantial losses incurred by producers due to high budget
Conclusion
On the whole, Adipurush can be termed a golden opportunity wasted for Om Raut and Prabhas to deliver a fitting cinematic adaptation of the revered Ramayana epic. Despite its visual ambition and budget, weak writing and execution, especially regarding VFX, spoiled the film. Barring a few high points, Adipurush failed to meet the sky-high expectations associated with its scale and hype. The criticism around its sub-par quality proved a reality check for the team. However, it will hopefully pave the way for more refined mythological attempts on the technical front by Indian filmmakers in the years to come.