Movie Review: Adipurush ADIPURUSH is a well-made entertainer with a big-screen appeal.

ADIPURUSH, inspired from the Ramayana, is the story of Lord Rama rescuing Mata Sita from the evil Ravana. Raghav (Prabhas), the prince of Ayodhya, is sent on a 14-year vanvas (exile). He’s accompanied by his wife Janki (Kriti Sanon) and brother Shesh (Sunny Singh). One day, while Raghav is roaming in the forest, he meets Shurpankha (Tejaswini Pandit). She falls for him and proposes marriage. Raghav respectfully declines and informs her that he's already married. Shurpankha is unable to bear the truth and she harms Janki. In retaliation, Shesh cuts her nose. She goes back to her kingdom, Lanka, and complains about it to her brother, King Lankesh (Saif Ali Khan). Lankesh decides to exact revenge. He kidnaps Janki and keeps her hostage in the Ashok Vatika in the palace complex. Raghav is devastated and he decides to head to Lanka to rescue Janki and defeat Lankesh. He’s helped by the Vaanar Raja Sugriva (voiced by Gaurrav Walia) and Lord Bajrang (Devdatta G Nage) in this historic battle. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

ADIPURUSH is based on the epic, Ramayana. Om Raut's adapted story is a classic. Clearly Om Raut, as a new generation film maker, and back with the accolades of his 2020 super hit film TANHAJI: THE UNSUNG WARRIOR, is driven to tell his eternal tale to a younger audience, that has grown up to VFX films and Super hero franchises from the likes of Marvel etc. To celebrate our own stories is not just laudable but indeed commendable for any storyteller. Some of the scenes are well thought out and interpreted. He also keeps the narrative simplified. However, one feels that Manoj Muntashir Shukla's dialogues could have been more impactful. The only dialogue that stands out is Raghav’s speech before the climax battle.

Om Raut's direction is first-rate. He doesn’t rush through the narrative and takes his time to build the characters and the world in which the film is set in. The film is a visual spectacle and the way he has handled the grandeur is seen to be believed. The 3D effects also are nicely done. The use of the song ‘Jai Shree Ram’ is praiseworthy and it enhances the impact.

On the flipside, the second half gets dragging. The climax fight goes on and on and makes viewers restless. Some of the CGI could have been better, knowing well that comparisons would be drawn to international films. You can make out that the film maker is keen to establish his own narrative of this tale and hence the dialogues too have perhaps been contemporised.

ADIPURUSH starts on a lovely note. The visuals in the song 'Ram Siya Ram' are beautiful and the makers smartly and briefly explain the context and background and begin the story straight away from the vanvas track. Lankesh’s entry is superb and so is the song 'Shivoham'. To show Lankesh’s statues singing the song is cinematic brilliance. The first half is lengthier than the second half and yet, it is impactful. Some of the scenes that stand out in the first half are Lankesh kidnapping Janki, Raghav meeting Shabari, Bajrang’s entry, Bajrang meeting Raghav for the first time, Sugriva and Vaali’s fight and the intermission point. Post-interval, the film falls in certain scenes. The ‘sanjeevni booti’ episode and Raghav’s speech are memorable sequences in this hour.

FDFS Public Review : Adipurush Ft. Prabhas | Kriti Sanon | Sunny Singh | Devdatta Nage

Speaking of performances, Prabhas is the apt choice for such a divine role. However, we feel that the expectation of the larger Indian public for this role was perhaps much more. The dilemma of a nation having grown up to this tale and have some of it repeated on television during the pandemic brings a strange conflict of what the audience wants to see or hear as opposed to a more modern rendition of the story the film maker wants to present. Kriti Sanon looks beautiful and gives a decent performance. Saif Ali Khan tries to give his best but is limited to some extent due to the VFX in his scenes and the execution. Om had extracted a wonderful performance from his earlier film and this role could have been another feather in his cap. Devdatta G Nage is impressive. But his dialogues though could have had more reverence and substance. Sunny Singh is fair. Siddharth Kiran Karnick (Vibhishan), Vatsal Seth (Indrajit), Tejaswini Pandit and Ayesha Madhukar (Maya) are okay. Sonal Chauhan (Mandodari) is wasted.

Ajay-Atul's music is one of the film’s USPs. 'Jai Shri Ram' is like the film’s anthem and has an exhilarating effect. 'Ram Siya Ram' (by Sachet-Parampara) is soulful. 'Shivoham' is well-tuned and shot. 'Tu Hai Sheetal Dhaara' makes for a nice watch. 'Huppa Huiya' is missing from the film. Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara's background score is energetic.

Karthik Palani's cinematography is spectacular. Nachiket Barve's costumes are appealing and in sync with the era shown in the film. Priya Suhass and Nishant Jogdand's production design is rich but perhaps contrasting to the viewer’s expectation in the scenes of Lanka. Ramazan Bulut and Pradyumna Kumar Swain's action is family-friendly and entertaining. VFX in today’s environment of movie making is integral and a style or format may appeal to many and yet one will have sceptics as the sheer possibilities are endless. While it’s terrific in some scenes, there areas scenes where there could have been scope for improvement. The conflict of telling an age old eternal tale in a more modern and contemporary style will always draw multiple views. Some will see glimpses of inspiration even from films like THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Since the film was always marketed as the eternal tale of Lord Rama and the conquest of good over evil, it remains to be seen if the audience would accept some of these scenes in the midst of the grandeur and scale of the rest of the film. Ashish Mhatre and Apurva Motiwale Sahai's editing is neat but could have been sharper in the second half.

On the whole, ADIPURUSH is a well-made entertainer with a big-screen appeal. At the box office, it’ll have a bumper opening and a strong weekend due to the immense hype and extreme excitement among the target audience to watch it in cinemas.

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