Adipurush is a film directed by Om Raut that tells the story of the Ramayana in a different way. Instead of showing Rama’s early life and his adventures as a student, the movie jumps straight to the part where Ravana kidnaps Seeta. It then focuses on the battle Rama fights to rescue her.
In this version, Rama is called Raghav, Seeta is referred to as Janki, Laxmana is named Shesh, and Hanuman is called Bajrang. Ravana is sometimes addressed as Lankesh. The director took inspiration for the setting of Lanka from the movie Lord of the Rings, making it look like the dark place called Mordor. Ravana’s palace resembles Sauron’s tower, and his army includes creatures like orcs and trolls. The atmosphere in Lanka is always gloomy with storm clouds. Ravana has a special connection with bats and rides a giant bat into battle. He also has many magical weapons and is portrayed as a giant compared to everyone else.
When we think of epic stories, we usually expect a serious and respectful tone. In the Ramayana, characters are polite even to their enemies, and previous adaptations have shown this respect. Unfortunately, this film lacks that. For instance, Hanumanji is shown as smaller than Rama, and sometimes he uses casual language, which doesn’t capture his powerful character. The dialogue throughout the movie feels uneven, which affects the overall impact of the story.
