Adipurush Review: A Modern Ramayana in Parts

When a film is directed by someone as famous as Prabhas, there are understandably great expectations. When the film is Adipurush, the stakes are significantly higher because it is centred on Hindu culture and religion. Adipurush was released today, and we'll see how it turns out.

Movie Adipurush

Star Cast Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan

Director Om Raut Producer T-Series and Retrophiles

Music Ajay-Atul

Run Time 2 Hr 59 Mins

Release 16th Jun 2023

Story:

Adipurush deals with the Aranyakandam of The Ramayana, in which Sita is kidnapped by Ravana and Lord Rama sets out to find and return Sita. The names of Rama, Sita, and Ravana alter here, but the plot remains the same.

On-Screen Performances:

Prabhas provides a nuanced performance as Raghava, with a lot of restraint in how he conveys his emotions on the big screen. Even in a moment with a lot of buildup, he doesn't get hyper, which is admirable given that the actor is attempting to convey the greatest possible version of Lord Ram. Kriti Sanon as Sita is a pleasant surprise; she outperforms everyone's expectations. She performs an excellent job and also looks the part. Devdutt Nage and Sunny Singh play Hanuman and Lakshman, respectively. The film's biggest letdown is Saif Ali Khan's performance as Lankesh. While the actor did his best, it appears that he fell short at some point.

Off-Screen Talents

First and foremost, filmmaker Om Raut should be commended for significantly improving the visual effects of the film since the teaser release. There has been a significant improvement, which is beneficial to the film.

The director also did an excellent job with Lord Ram's ascent scenes. However, it is Lankesh's character that has gone awry. Everything appears incredibly modern and out of place, from the character's appearance and design to the way it was shown on the big screen. Things would have been so much better if that had been taken care of.

Another major complaint about the film is that, while the visual effects are good, the vanara sena doesn't give the audience a very convincing feeling, as the use of chimps and other animals from the monkey family makes it look like it was inspired by a Hollywood movie rather than giving you an authentic feel.

The film's background music is its most powerful supporting pillar, enhancing the action to a significant extent. The cinematography is adequate. The production values are superb, and it is obvious. The editing is excellent.

Plus Points:

Background music

Pre-interval sequence

Minus Points:

Lankesh characterisation

Vanara Sena

VFX

Verdict:

Adipurush is a faithful version of The Ramayana, which is good. The greatest letdown, though, comes in the shape of some lacklustre effects and errors in certain minute aspects. Overall, Adipurush falls short of expectations but is still worth seeing if you don't have high expectations.

Rating: 2.75/5