Opinion | Adipurush: Success ≠ Quality
The film Adipurush, directed by Om Raut, has received more criticism than praise since its release. Despite the negative feedback, the film has had a strong start at the box office, grossing approximately Rs 340 crore worldwide in its first weekend.
The film Adipurush, directed by Om Raut, has received more criticism than praise since its release. Despite the negative feedback, the film has had a strong start at the box office, grossing approximately Rs 340 crore worldwide in its first weekend.
The success of Adipurush can be attributed to its source of inspiration, the epic Ramayan, which holds deep-rooted associations with religion and culture. Different people have different levels of familiarity with the work. For example, the writer first read an abridged version in Bangla as a teenager in the 1980s, followed by Amar Chitra Katha comics and Ramanand Sagar's televised adaptation of Ramayan.
Raut faced a challenging task in making Adipurush, a nearly three-hour-long film. The filmmaker had to balance the need to visually depict the story while also satisfying the expectations of keen observers and fans of the source material.
The teaser of the film received negative feedback, particularly regarding the visual effects and Saif Ali Khan's appearance as Lankesh/Ravan. Despite some modifications, the film's weaknesses did not seem to improve significantly.
Prabhas, playing the role of Raghav/Ram, is the main attraction of the film but lacks expression, which diminishes the appeal of his character. Kriti Sanon as Janaki/Sita looks beautiful but has limited screen time, while Sunny Singh as Shesh/Lakshman fails to make a strong impact. Devdatta Nage as Bajrang/Hanuman is not convincing in his role.
Saif Ali Khan does his best to bring life to the antagonist, but his appearance, with a spiky hairstyle and beard, gives him a cartoonish look. The character of Lankesh/Ravan needed better writing to enhance the plot and improve the overall theatrical experience.
Adipurush falls short of excellence due to various shortcomings, including a weak screenplay, criticized dialogues that are reportedly being changed, computer graphics inspired by Hollywood films, and ordinary direction. However, the film is expected to succeed due to its appeal to viewers interested in big-budget Indian cinema, especially those drawn to a film based on Ramayan with Prabhas in the lead role.
The film's performance at the box office is significant for the industry, but the filmmakers would have been happier if more viewers had loved the film.
The author, a journalist with experience in literature and pop culture, has written several books, including a biography of former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni. The views expressed in the article are personal.
What's Your Reaction?
