Home » Reviews » Adipurush (Hindi) review: Prabhas and Kriti Sanon's retelling of Valmiki's Ramayana is a disappointing mistake of EPIC proportions
Adipurush (Hindi) review: Prabhas and Kriti Sanon's retelling of Valmiki's Ramayana is a disappointing mistake of EPIC proportions
Om Raut’s Adipurush is visually stunning in parts. Prabhas is at his worst, Saif Ali Khan comes a close second. Kriti Sanon is the only ray of hope that shines bright in this otherwise lackluster film
1.5/5
Jun 18, 2023
Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan and Kriti Sanon in Adipurush
Adipurush
Story:
Raghav (Prabhas), Janaki (Kriti Sanon), and Shesh (Sunny Singh) have been dwelling in a forest, a few years after being exiled from Ayodhya. When Surpanakha’s (Tripti Toradmal) nose is cut by Shesh, her demon-king brother Raavan (Saif Ali Khan) abducts Janaki and takes her to his kingdom of Lanka in order to avenge his sister. This leads to Raghav and Shesh embarking on a journey to Lanka and declaring war on Raavan, aided by Bajrang (Devdatta Nage), Jambwant, Sugreev and his vaanar sena.
Review:
Director Om Raut takes up the herculean task of reimagining and retelling, arguably the most popular Indian epic Ramayana with Adipurush. Right at the onset, we’re told in the film’s disclaimer that it’s a screen adaptation of the version written by Valmiki. The most important one to note here is that the “Filmmakers do not claim this to be a religiously authoritative representation of the Valmiki Ramayan(sic).”
Well, noted. We’re all for a modern-day retelling of our epics and mythologies as it not only gives a chance to acquaint the younger generation with the rich Indian culture and legends (that now seem to be a thing of the past) but also presents an opportunity to the makers to showcase their interpretations of the essence of the tales. If by that, the makers of Adipurush mean throwing in a bit of the Gen-Z lingo, turning Raavan’s sone ki Lanka into a grey-scaled, doomed version of Thor’s Asgard (from the first couple of films in the series), recreating the Battle of New York from Avengers with Ram…, sorry, Raghav, and his aides, peppering Ashok Vatika with cherry blossoms in Lanka and lines like “Jo hamarai beheno ko hath lagayega uski lanka laga denge”, the result isn’t really quite palatable and at best, leaves a bitter aftertaste.
Adipurush is not the first time that a leaf is taken out of Ramayana and adapted for the screens. We’ve seen previously such attempts in films like Rudraksh (2004), Raavan (2010), Ram Setu (2022), and the more memorable and visually stunning RRR (2022) among others. While Om Raut’s vision and the scale at which he’s mounted his attempt in Adipurush is commendable, the “storytelling” aspect in this retelling of the epic seriously lacks depth, emotion, and nuance of any sort. After bearing with this 170 mins-long mistake of epic proportions, we wish that the makers took the part where they claim that “Every effort is taken to stay true to the essence and spirit of the original text(sic),” in the disclaimer, a bit more earnestly.
The film’s opening credits against the melodious Ram Siya Ram song rush you through the backstory involving how Raghav, Janaki, and Shesh end up being exiled and living in a forest giving you a gist of the events in the Ayodhya Kaand of the Valmiki Ramayan. The first half is nothing but a series of events strung together to summarise the Aranya Kaand, Kishkindha Kaand, and Sundar Kaand which eventually lead up to the Lanka Kaand or Yuddh Kaand involving the battle between Raghav and Raavan. It is in the first half where you’d be able to witness the expertise and technical know-how of the director in handling heavy VFX and CGI with picturesque landscapes and stunning visuals of the forest, the river, and waterfalls among others. However, the very same visual effects and CGI miserably disappoint and fall flat in the battle sequence of the prolonged climax in the second half.
In an attempt to make the film more relatable to the current generation, writer Manoj Muntashir (who otherwise has an enviable repertoire of writing credits) ends up making the blunder of juggling between two types of dialogues for the protagonists. While the characters of Raghav, Janaki, Raavan, Vibhishan, and Shesh speak in somewhat shuddh Hindi, those of Bajrang, Indrajeet (Vatsal Sheth), and Raavan’s henchmen speak in colloquial Hindi spoken by the Gen-Zs today.
So on one hand there’s Raghav eloquently saying, “Satya pareshan ho sakta hai, parajit nahin (which loosely translates to - Truth may be worrying but it never gets defeated)” and another character asserting, “Dharm aur adharm ke yuddh mein jo nishpaksh rahe, uss se bada koi aparadhi nahi (One who remains neutral in the battle between right and wrong, is nothing less than a criminal). On the other hand, Bajrang (who is evidently Lord Hanuman) gets to mouth lines like, “Kapda tere baap ka, tel tere baap ka, aag tere baap ki, aur jalegi bhi tere baap ki.” Honestly, we’re all for creative liberties but it’s difficult to digest seeing a version of Hanuman ji mouth dialogues like these.
Apart from the length of the film, the biggest drawback of Adipurush lies in the fact that despite some beautiful visuals in the first half, the film and its characters fail to evoke any emotion in the viewer and they had three whole hours to do that. Whether it is the abduction of Janaki, or Raghav’s journey to search for her and get her back – you don’t really end up rooting for its half-baked characters.
For an adaptation of such a popular epic rooted in mythology, emotions, and morals, the film fails to touch a chord on those very aspects that form the crux of the tale - the victory of good over evil. We won’t be surprised if by the time the climax is over, the viewers end up heaving a sigh of relief and rushing to the nearest chemist to get a pill for their headache (courtesy, the extremely loud background score). While the rousing Jai Shri Ram track does uplift a couple of moments in the film, we were particularly disappointed with the BGM attributed to Saif Ali Khan’s Raavan in most of the scenes he’s a part of.
The songs composed by Ajay-Atul and Sachet-Parampara work well and seamlessly blend with an otherwise dull narrative. There are scenes that’ll make you draw parallels with movies and shows like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, Planet of Apes, Avengers, and then some. Heck, the very opening sequence will give you a déjà vu of the dementors from the Harry Potter series. To give credit where due, the scenes that establish Raavan as the learned, ardent disciple of Lord Shiva have been done quite well but we fail to understand why Saif Ali Khan’s Raavan has been given a troll-like appearance and gait.
Prabhas as Raghav tries to live up to the expectations but he seems to be taking a leaf from his Baahubali avatar for the portrayal of Raghav. In the epic, Ram is established as Maryada Purushottam – one who knows the boundaries and upholds them even in the toughest situations, without leaving his calm and composed demeanor. Prabhas’s Raghav is the modern-day warrior prince, who talks about maryada (sure!) while giving pearls of wisdom to others, but also delivers a rousing war cry in true-blue Baahubali fashion.
The essence of Ram’s character lies in the fact that he doesn’t lose his cool even when he’s raging with anger. That essence lacks in Prabhas’s portrayal of Raghav, especially in the second half. He glimmers in some of the more empathetic scenes, but his expressions (or lack of them) make it extremely difficult for the viewer to feel any devotion towards his character. In the sequences where he's perpetually running, it almost feels like he's on a treadmill.
Also Read | Prabhas on Adipurush: I haven’t met a director like Om Raut in my 20-year-long career
If Prabhas is at his worst, Saif Ali Khan comes a close second with his portrayal of Raavan which is a shame given that the actor has a penchant for portraying negative/morally corrupt characters on screen. We’ve seen him ace his parts in films like Ek Hasina Thi (2004), Omkara (2006), or even Tanhaji (2020). Unfortunately, the script doesn’t allow him to go beyond being an amalgamation of Khal Drogo and Night King (from GoT) coupled with bursts of maniacal laughter and interactions with his other nine alter egos.
In a scene that takes place between Raavan and Janaki at Ashok Vaatika, Saif’s expressions transition from flawlessly reciting verses in Sanskrit from the Shiv Taandav Shlok to scaring her with his 10-headed avatar, to pleading to her with folded hands within minutes. It’s here that you see a small glimpse of the massive potential of what could have been a memorable act but sadly, he’s let down by a distorted screenplay and stereotypical characterization devoid of any of the character traits that formed the crux of Raavan.
Kriti Sanon is the only ray of hope in the film’s otherwise disoriented screenplay. She is elegance personified as Janaki and nails her expressions, demeanor, and dialogue delivery to the T. Though, she doesn’t get enough lines in the larger scheme of things, she brings her A-game to the character, especially in the scene where she’s abducted and the one involving her exchange of words with Raavan.
Kriti's scenes with Prabhas in the song Tu Hai Sheetal Dhaara are quite exquisite. Sunny Singh as Shesh (aka Lakshman with a Punjabi twang) mostly appears perplexed but does try to deliver in the limited scope of his character in the screenplay. Devdatta Nage sometimes hits but mostly misses the mark as Bajrang (the less we speak about his dialogues, the better it will be). Vatshal Sheth as Indrajeet is decent while Sonal Chauhan as Mandodari does a fair job.
We were looking forward to this adaptation of the Ramayana and what Om Raut will present to us as his interpretation, but we were left disappointed with the way the film fails to live up to the expectations, especially in the second half. Dismal VFX and CGI in the long-drawn battle sequences aside, Raut seems too inspired to incorporate elements from the Superhero movies in the West. At one point, all the aides of Raghav assemble in a circle, waving and flashing their weapons in true Avengers fashion. The only thing that was left, was for Prabhas’s Raghav to say, “Avengers… Assemble!”
Verdict:
Adipurush’s attempt to adapt the Ramayana for modern-day audiences doesn’t quite hit the mark, especially in conveying the true essence of the epic and its characters. While the visuals in the first half are stunning, the Om Raut directorial lacks emotional depth and maturity. If Prabhas is at his worst, Saif Ali Khan comes a close second. Kriti Sanon is the only ray of hope that shines bright in this otherwise lackluster film. Watch it (if you must) in 3D only.
(All images, unless mentioned otherwise, via YouTube/Screengrab)
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