Adipurush Movie review: Mythology mixed with Technology, A spectacular epic

Prabhas starrer ‘Adipurush’ created huge buzz in recent times. The movie is based on the Indian epic Ramayana and is directed by Om Raut. Kriti Sanon played Sita, while Bollywood star hero Saif Ali Khan played the demon king Ravana. T-Series and Retrophiles backed this magnum opus. The film hit the screens today and let’s see whether the film lived up to the hype or not.

Story:

“Adipurush” showcases the Aranya Kaanda and Yuddha Kaanda in Ramayana. The movie begins with Lord Rama, aka Raghava (Prabhas), getting banished from his kingdom Ayodhya for 14 years at the decree of his father, Dasaratha. It is Bharata’s mother and Dasaradha’s younger wife, Kaikeyi, who demands that Lord Rama be sent to the forest so that her son would be crowned. Sita, aka Janaki (Kriti Sanon), and Seshu, aka Lakshmana (Sunny Singh), accompany Lord Rama in exile. One day, the demon king Ravana (Saif Ali Khan) abducts Sita by diverting Rama and Seshu with a magical deer. Later, Rama meets Hanuman (Devdatte Naga), and the rest of the movie is about how Lord Rama won over Ravana and brought back Sita.

Analysis

Two-film-old Om Raut directs “Adipurush.” His last, Tanhaji, was a VFX-heavy period story that well blended special effects and drama. In his latest outing, Om Raut has picked a much-loved epic tale of the victory of good over evil, Ramayan, with a much more significant visual effects involvement.

The two critical things associated with the Adipurush narrative are the visual re-imagination and the change in the presentation of the age-old characters. These elements make it different from the previous films.

The first half of “Adiprush” is less on larger-than-life visual imagination and focuses on the key characters. The world and setting are created here, and the maker charted the usual, expected classical drama course. It takes the audience into the world of Ramyana with an engaging drama. The visuals and the sticking to the characters help sail through the narrative. The visual effects, too, are designed to suit the over-the-top on offer.

The proceedings automatically turn inconsistent mainly due to the characterization of antagonist (Lankesh). He appears in a different zone altogether, playing a regular villain to the galleries type of parts. It will bring you out of that world in parts.

The whole thing then leads to a never-ending, VFX-laden climax. Things go on and on and on and don’t seem to have an end in sight. Amidst all these, the real emotions are lost. The emotional connection is missing when Sita and Ram meet.

Overall, “Adipurush” is a big screen spectacle that is not just repackaging visually but also sensibility-wise. It is a modern version of the classic Ramayan tale. The mixture of Mythology and technology gives a spectacular outing. The makers main motto to showcase Ramayan to this generation people succeeded in delivering it.

Performances

Prabhas, as a star, has the aura to pull off Rama. There is an inherent innocence and calmness in his eyes. But, despite these positive aspects, Prabhas doesn’t really hit the mark with the once-in-a-lifetime part. Prabhas is riddled with inconsistent characterisation. His looks are that of a warrior, but the character trait given is that of a calm and composed Lord Rama. The mixture doesn’t come across well on screen.

Kriti Sanon as Sita has less screen time and doesn’t have much content to dive into. Kriti Sanon doesn’t spoil anything but fails to leave an impression that would help her be remembered playing the legendary character.

Saif Ali Khan plays Lankesh. He goes over the top with his portrayal as if playing a mass movie villain. It deviates so much from the material that the character seems almost unrecognisable. After a point, the antics get irritating, and his act becomes senseless if one thinks of Ravana from the classic Ramayana.

Lakshman and Hanuman are the two crucial parts of “Adipurush.” Sunny Singh essays the former, whereas Devdatta Nage as Hanuma. Sunny appears lacklustre, which is why despite a good enough runtime, he fails to register. Devadatta Nage’s Hanuman act gets better as the narrative progresses. The rest of the cast plays bits and pieces roles and are alright.

Technicalities

Director Om Raut did a decent job with the movie. The way things are handled looks good but he should have taken more care on emotions rather that concentrating on special effects. Better emotional content could have made “Adipurush” a great outing.

Telugu dialogues written by Bheem Sreenivas are good. The Telugu lyrics penned by Ramajogayya Sastry gelled well with the music composed by the Ajay-Atul duo. Shivoham and Jai Shree Ram songs stand out and are sure to evoke goosebumps. The background score by Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara is magnificent.

The costumes designed by Nachiket Barve give the movie a modern touch. The production design created by Priya Suhass and Nishanth Jogdand can be better as we hear Lanka as a beautiful place in tales but the world has been showcased in a different manner. The 3D effects are good in a few scenes.

The makers have gone all out and spent heavily on the movie, but VFX-wise, the movie disappoints. Karthik Palani’s cinematography is neat. The movie needs some serious editing. The choreography of action set pieces is ordinary, and they don’t create any excitement.

Advantages

Big-screen appeal

BGM and couple of songs

First Half

Drawbacks

Lengthy narration

Lacking emotional connection