Adipurush is an upcoming mythological film based on the epic of Ramayana. It stars Prabhas as Raghava (Lord Rama), Kriti Sanon as Janaki (Goddess Sita), Sunny Singh as Laxmana and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh (Ravana). Writer-director Om Raut brings the epic tale of Ramayana, one we have grown up listening to and witnessing it get adapted into tv shows and movies. But having watched the trailer, I doubt if the film can bring us the satisfaction of experiencing the timeless saga.
The trailer raises the curtain with scenic beauty and the voiceover of Lord Hanuman (Devdatta Nage) introducing us to Lord Rama. The three-minute long trailer abridges the essence of Ramayana. We get glimpses of some of the pivotal events from the epic like the Sitaharan scene, Lord Hanuman bringing the Sanjeevani booti, the putting together of Ram Setu and the attack of Vanar Sena. One of the disappointing factors in the trailer is the dialogue delivery of Prabhas and his expressiveness. Prabhas’s aggressive dialogue delivery and his furious expressions remind me of his character “Bahubali”, from S.S Rajamouli’s Bahubali franchise. Kriti Sanon’s look as Sita and the acting skills are undoubtedly at its peak. Her expressions are stunning and convincing.
The trailer concludes with Saif Ali Khan’s (Ravana) evil laugh and his back in front of a giant Shiva linga. There is a shot in the concluding scenes of the trailer where Raghava is riding on the back of Lord Hanuman, aiming and shooting his arrow, and that is a whistle-worthy spectacle. But, I doubt if that same level of grandiose can be upheld during the concluding battle scene in the movie.
I still remember the feeling of disappointment after watching the teaser of Adipurush where Saif Ali Khan’s look as Lankesh (or “Lankapati Ravan”), poor CGI and Prabhas’s first impression as Lord Rama soured the nostalgia inside me.
There is a Japanese art called “Kintsugi”, in which broken pottery is repaired by mending it with lacquer dusted gold or silver, making it a unique product. But, here, in the Adipurush trailer there is neither gold, nor silver. It is tried, after the damage post the teaser, that the flaws be hidden by giving less screen time to Saif Ali Khan (Lankesh) and giving us less glimpses of Lanka. But the poor CGI made Vanar Sena falls short of inspiring awe.
Adipurush, the most expensive film made in India with a budget of 700 crores, releases in theatres on 16th June, 2023 after its release at Tribeca Festival in New York on 13th June.
You can catch the Adipurush trailer here:
