Adipurush: A disappointing cinematic adaptation of the Ramayana

Adipurush, a movie that has had its fair share of controversy again grabbed the limelight as fans of Prabhas were seen beating up a man outside a Hyderabad theatre because the man reportedly criticised Prabhas for his role in Adipurush.

The video was shared on Reddit and it can be seen that a few people got angry and started beating the man after he said something to the media present there. According to users on Reddit, he didn’t like the film. He praised Prabhas for Bahubali but also criticized him for Adipurush.

This is not the first time the film has been the center of attention all for bad reasons, the criticism of Adipurush began back when the makers of the film released its teaser. There was a significant backlash towards the visual effects and the graphics of the movie, due to which the makers had to postpone the release of the movie, but judging the reviews it is still getting on social media, it still seems that the makers have not been able to provide justice to the VFX of the movie.

Fans have been comparing Adipurush to Shah Rukh Khan’s Ra:One which was released 12 years ago in 2011 and surprisingly people are finding the latter’s VFX better.

The movie which was released all over India on Friday is also under fire for its dialogues as people are branding it as ‘cringe’ and ‘chapri’, dialogues like “Kapda tere baap Ka… tel tere baap ka… Aag tere baap ki” and “Teri bua ka bagecha hai kya jo hawa khane chala aaya.” Fans are disappointed for obvious reasons as a movie based on the Hindu epic Ramayan should have a class and finesse in every aspect of the movie.

The release of Adipurush is facing uncertainty in Nepal as Kathmandu’s Mayor Balen Shah objected to dialogue in the film. He called for a ban on all Hindi films, as he had an issue regarding a specific line in the film where Mata Sita is referred to as the “daughter of India.” He emphasized that Sita is regarded as the daughter of Nepal, and demanded the producers change the dialogue within three days if they wish to proceed with the scheduled release. The dialogue has been reportedly removed from the film, as per the censor board’s instructions.

A PIL has also been filed against the controversial film in the Delhi High Court by Hindu Sena President Vishnu Gupta arguing that the movie “offends the sentiment” of the Hindu community by showcasing religious characters in “an inappropriate and inaccurate manner” that goes against the descriptions found in the works of Maharishi Valmiki and Swami Tulsidas. “The bearded look of Ravana’s character played by Saif Ali Khan in the film is hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community as the Hindu Brahmin Ravana is shown making a ghastly face in a wrong manner which is an absolute insult to Hindu civilization, Hindu religious figures, idols, ideals, etc.,” the petition claims. The PIL also challenges the certification granted to the film under the Cinematograph Act of 1952.

The big-budget film has been reportedly made on a budget of ₹500 crores while aiming for a ₹130 crore-plus global opening but media outlets have clipped the expectations of the makers as majority predictions are between ₹70-90 crores only. After the sale of distribution and OTT right, the movie has already made ₹480 crores reportedly. While the film has received quite a few positive reviews also, it is safe to say that controversies have overshadowed them all.