Adipurush review: This modern adaptation of ‘Ramayana’ lacks soul

Director Om Raut’s Adipurush is based on one of India’s greatest epics — Ramayana.

The Ramayana, which tells the story of Maryada Purushottam Shri Rama, is considered special by several Hindus as Rama’s life is an inspiration for those looking to lead a righteous life. In fact, to many, he serves as the perfect role model.

However, the makers of Adipurush seem to have completely failed to understand this significant aspect of the Ramayana.

As a result, the Prabhas-starrer does not focus its energies on bringing this aspect out. Instead, it comes across as a poor adaptation of the great epic that superficially tells the story of Rama, without bothering to explain the intricate thought process and the wisdom behind Rama’s decisions in the story.

Synopsis

The film is an abridged version with several drastic changes to the original epic. It begins with Lankesh (Saif Ali Khan) being granted a boon of invincibility by Lord Brahma.

Even as Lankesh (for all practical reasons, Ravana) returns a highly satisfied man after receiving the boon from Brahma, Raghava (Prabhas), his wife Janaki (Kriti Sanon) and his brother Shesh (Sunny Singh) are in exile.

Ravana’s sister Soorpanakha falls in love with Raghava. However, when he turns down her proposal, she chooses to attack his wife, Janaki! This infuriates Shesh (Laxman), who shoots an arrow that disfigures Soorpanakha’s face.

She goes to her brother Lankesh and tempts him with the beauty of Janaki, saying he must make her his. Lankesh comes and kidnaps Janaki. How Raghav rescues his wife is what Adipurush is all about.

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Analysis

Adipurush might be based on the great Ramayana but it lacks soul and does not impress.

Ramayana gains its importance as much from Rama’s character and his thoughtfulness, which his great decisions reflect, as it does from his abilities as a warrior.

However, Adipurush’s efforts seem to have been focused on only bringing out the warrior abilities of Rama and not on his impeccable sense of discernment and judgement.

Vali-Sugreeva battle

A case in point would be the wisdom that Rama imparts after helping Sugreeva defeat Vali in battle.

In the more accepted version of the Ramayana, Rama agrees to help Sugreeva defeat Vali and asks the former to challenge the latter to a bout.

When Sugreeva does as he is said, Vali defeats him the first time. A defeated Sugreeva returns to Rama and asks him why he did not help him.

Rama tells him that he couldn’t identify who among the two was Sugreeva when the bout was on. This time, he asks Sugreeva to wear a garland.

The second time, Rama shoots an arrow from behind Vali to kill him and end the bout.

When Rama is asked to explain how his act of killing Vali from behind could be fair, he gives a perfect explanation. It is Rama’s thought process that makes the Ramayana what it is. Unfortunately, the makers of Adipurush seem to have failed to understand this.

Interestingly, in the film, Sugreeva wins the bout the first time itself!

Other discrepancies

This isn’t the only instance where the story has been changed. One could go on to cite several such sequences in Adipurush which actually are significantly different from the original.

What the makers sought to achieve by making these changes, only they can tell. What we can tell is that they certainly haven’t helped the makers’ cause.

The film has quite a lot of fancy graphics. Ravana, in the original Ramayana, kidnaps Sita in his chariot. In Adipurush, Lankesh kidnaps Sita on a creature that looks like a bat on some occasions and a vampire on others.

Lanka in the original Ramayana is described as a beautiful land filled with riches. However, in Adipurush, it looks like Mordor, full of gloom and filled with orcs.

Related: Prabhas fans thrash ‘Adipurush’ reviewer outside theatre in Hyderabad

Performances

Coming to performances, Saif Ali Khan who plays Lankesh/Ravana does a fantastic job.

In fact, it is his performance that comes as a breath of fresh air in a film that otherwise has very little to offer.

Prabhas has very few dialogues to deliver, but he does a decent job as Raghav. As does Kriti Sanon who plays Janaki.

Flaws

Adipurush is awfully long, with a runtime of almost 179 minutes. What is sad is that despite the film being three hours long, the most significant parts of the story, including the climax, are told in a tearing hurry.

The movie has ample CG (Computer Graphics), and some of it is quite impressive.

However, a story can be told without CG. But it cannot be told without a soul.

Final take

Adipurush comes across as a weak attempt at narrating a great epic.

(Views expressed are personal.)