Adipurush

Ambitious in vision but flawed in execution; this dichotomy defines Om Raut’s attempt to depict Indian mythology for a global audience through Adipurush full movie. Backed by a massive budget of ₹500-700 crores, the CGI heavy screen visuals mount an epic scale. However, the essence of Ramayana centered on sacrifice and humanism gets diluted amidst the overt focus on action extravaganza catering to commercial interests. And in all the movies of the Bollywood movie genre, it is number 1.

Featuring Prabhas as Lord Ram, Saif Ali Khan as Raavan, and Kriti Sanon as Sita, the film stays pretty faithful to the main narrative template of the revered epic. But expands on combat set pieces while taking creative liberties in presentation. Sensitive scenes dealing with emotional depth or philosophical messaging lose impact.

Barring impressive production design and a towering lead star cast, the lackluster writing, inconsistent VFX, and theatrical score scuttle immersive flow at critical moments. For all its surface-level ambition, too much grandeur without a matching soul makes the cinematic end product feel more synthetic than organic.

Star Cast of Adipurush

Helmed by a talented ensemble cast, the performers are responsible for capturing the larger-than-life personas of mythological icons on screen.

Prabhas as Raghava and Kriti Sanon as Janaki

As the titular first man and god incarnate Raghava, Prabhas brings his muscular physique and screen presence to the lead role. Known for his performances in the Baahubali series and Saaho, Prabhas demonstrates good archery skills fitting for his warrior prince act.

However, his hindered expressions and awkward dialogue delivery in some emotional scenes reduce the impact. Being a Telugu speaker, his Hindi dubbing appears slightly off as well. But he fits the visual mold of a towering hero backed by solid action.

With her graceful beauty and diary-eyed innocence, Kriti Sanon is well-cast as Raghava’s wife, Janaki. She conveys varied emotions of love, courage, sadness, and determination in different scenarios.

Her refreshing on-screen chemistry and interactions with Prabhas add warmth to the grand war spectacle. Kriti proves her versatility by excelling in this divine role beyond her popular song-dance image.

Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh and the Supporting Cast

The main antagonist, the ten-headed demon king Lankesh, Saif Ali Khan, is almost unrecognizable behind the layers of prosthetics and VFX. His baritone voice captures the sinister and self-centered nature of Ravana reasonably well.

However, Saif appears visibly restricted in his expressions because of the heavy makeup. The character lacks the powerful aura and larger-than-life menace associated with the revered main villain. His portrayal pales compared to the more impressive antagonists of Amrish Puri and Arvind Trivedi in past adaptations.

Sunny Singh as Lakshmana, Devdatta Nage as Hanuman, Sonal Chauhan as Mandodari, and others are functional in their respective roles. Most supporting cast struggle due to limited screen time and overpowered VFX surroundings. Vibhishana, played by Siddhant Karnick, and Surpanakha, played by Tejaswini Pandit, leave some impact but are still overtly loud.

The supporting performances fail to register the same charm and resonance as the iconic star cast of Ramanand Sagar’s hit ’80s show.

Exploring Adipurush soundtracks

The music of Adipurush has been created by the talented duo of Ajay-Atul along with the young composer duo Sachet-Parampara. Together they have crafted an epic soundtrack that perfectly complements the grand scale and visual splendor of the film.

Hindi Tracks

The music for the Hindi version of Adipurush has been composed by Ajay-Atul, the National Award-winning composer known for their work in Sairat and Dhadak, among others. Is it better than the music in the movie Ginny Weds Sunny?

The first single titled “Jai Shri Ram” sets the tone for the devotional mood of the film. Released on the auspicious occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, the track has vocals by Atul Gogavale along with a chorus of 20 singers. The song has a towering production with booming percussion, chorus chants and chanting shlokas. The scale and intensity of the track exemplifies the epic battle between good and evil.

“Shivoham” offerings a contrast as a soulful devotional track sung beautifully by Ajay Gogavale. His crystalline voice sings praises of Lord Shiva and brings out the spiritual essence of the film.

The romantic track “Tu Hai Sheetal Dhaara” features the duo of Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghosal. Their mellifluous voices capture the gentle romance between Lord Ram and Sita. The lovely flute-Based melody and sweet lyrics make it a mesmerizing listen.

“Huppa Huiya” takes the pace up a notch with the masterful Sukhwinder Singh behind the mic. It’s an energetic dance track celebrating Lord Ram’s valor with powerful beats and Singh’s dynamic vocals.

Telugu Tracks

Their track “Ram Sita Ram” is a soul-stirring melody celebrating the divine love between Lord Ram and Sita Maa. The song starts slowly with vocals and then gradually builds into a stunning chorus-heavy production with orchestra. Sachet-Parampara’s compositional brilliance is on display here in portraying eternal love.

Overall, both the Hindi and Telugu soundtracks stay true to the essence of this epic mythology. The composers have done a commendable job in using different musical styles and vocalists to produce an immersive background score and varied songs – from the celebratory to the romantic to the devotional.

Controversies surrounding Adipurush

Even before its release, Adipurush has been mired in several controversies primarily regarding the depiction of religious figures from the Hindu epic Ramayana.

The Allahabad High Court slammed the filmmakers for portraying religious characters including Lord Rama and Lord Hanuman in an “objectionable manner.” The court observed that the tolerance level of Hindus was being tested by depicting revered figures in a “pathetic way.” It questioned the CBFC’s certification of the film.

A Public Interest Litigation was filed in June 2023 seeking to stop the film’s broadcast on streaming platforms. The petition alleges the dialogues used by characters hurt religious sentiments.

Adipurush deserves points for its earnest effort to bring Indian mythology to global cinema through technological advances. Director Om Raut presents an ambitious spectacle mounted on a large canvas.

However, issues like inconsistent writing and dialogue delivery with overt dependence on flashy VFX reduce the impact of pivotal, emotionally heavy scenes. Barring Prabhas and Kriti Sanon, the performances of Saif’s Ravana and other characters appear one-note and unimpressive.

Ramayana has lived in people’s hearts through soulful poetry and music for centuries. As an overtly commercial film catering to larger-than-life heroism, Adipurush does not fully capture the essence and depth of this humanistic epic soaked in devotion and spirituality.