Writer-director Om Raut’s mythological action film Adipurush based on Maharshi Valmiki’s epic Ramayan has received much more criticism than praise ever since it hit the marquee on June 16. Produced on an estimated budget of Rs 500 crore, which makes it the second most expensive Indian film after SS Rajamouli’s period action drama RRR (2022), it is off to a great start at the box office though. The film has reportedly grossed Rs 340 crore worldwide in the first weekend, an early assurance of inevitable commercial success.
The main reason for Adipurush’s success is Ramayan, its source of inspiration, because of the epic’s deep-rooted association with our religion and culture. The manner in which we have familiarised ourselves with the work differs from person to person. A teenager in the early 1980s, this writer first read its abridged version in Bangla specifically written for youngsters. Amar Chitra Katha comics, cheap and available in a bookstore less than a kilometre away from home, happened around the same time. What followed was a boon: Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, a 78-episode-long TV series originally telecast between 1987 and 1988 on DD National.
Among viewers of Sagar’s episodic presentation were those who literally worshipped actors who appeared as Ram (Arun Govil), Sita (Deepika Chikhlia) and Hanuman (Dara Singh). It touched the hearts of millions, who had understood the life and times of Ram reasonably well by the time the serial came to an end. Sagar’s effort, which revealed the epic to the masses in detail, is a contribution for which we must be grateful to him.
The task of making Adipurush, which has a run time of two hours and 59 minutes, would have challenged the best of filmmakers. To show but to show: that was the question Raut must have faced and tried to answer. When the process of creating the ambitious extravaganza began, the maker would have also known that countless observers, including avid film-goers and others keen on watching it because of its source of inspiration, won’t take weaknesses lightly.
The feedback to the teaser was ominous, with social media showering criticism on the visibly poor VFX and the bearded look of Saif Ali Khan, who plays Lankesh/Ravan, the demon king of Lanka. The film’s postponement notwithstanding, its modifications do not seem to have resulted in significant improvement.
Prabhas, the film’s main attraction among actors seen as Raghav/Ram, has the personality to carry the role on his broad shoulders. The problem is that he is tediously expressionless, which lessens his character’s appeal manifold. Kriti Sanon as Janaki/Sita looks sufficiently pretty without having much to do, while Sunny Singh as Shesh/Lakshman brings nothing to the table. Devdatta Nage as Bajrang/Hanuman, who steps into the territory Dara Singh famously did in Sagar’s serial, falls short of being convincing in his role.
Saif Ali Khan tries his best to breathe life into the terror-inducing character of the antagonist. Appearance lets him down badly, the spiky hairstyle and beard giving his face a cartoonish look. He is huge, gets massaged by pythons, rides a giant bat and lives in a pitch-dark Lanka. While Raut and fellow writer Manoj Muntashir seem to have approached Lankesh/Ravan with a more detailed outline in mind, the character needed much better writing to add layers to the plot and make Adipurush a better theatrical experience.
Is retelling an epic, then, an avoidable creative adventure? It is not, as long as the maker is acutely aware that taking on the challenge is infinitely easier than delivering a satisfying outcome.
Adipurush fails to rise above mediocrity because its makers seemed to have tried too hard to produce a bestseller for the modern-day film-going audience. Music and background score are its strengths, but shortcomings such as a half-baked screenplay, much-criticised lines in dialogue that are being reportedly changed to honour public sentiments, computer graphics inspired by Game of Thrones, Planet of the Apes, The Lord of the Rings and other Hollywood fantasies, and ordinary direction have hurt the film badly.
But, the film will succeed. Many viewers of Indian big-budget cinema will watch it once because a film based on Ramayan and produced on a grand scale is an unavoidable temptation for them. Moreover, the presence of Prabhas in the central role will be the deciding factor for his fans.
Every big-budget film needs heavy footfall for success. At the same time, appreciation results in satisfaction like nothing else.
Adipurush’s performance at the box office is a significant outcome for the industry. However, Raut and his team would have been infinitely happier had most viewers fallen in love with the film.
The author, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed are personal.
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