"Adipurush: A Disappointing Spectacle - A Failed Attempt to Honor our Gods"

Director: Om Raut

Producer: T-Series

Starring: Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan

"Adipurush" has been a highly anticipated film, but unfortunately, it fails to live up to expectations on multiple fronts. The most glaring issue is the VFX, which was the primary reason for the movie's delay. Despite the additional time of over 6 months, the VFX remains subpar and unimproved from the initial teaser that received significant backlash. While a few sequences are genuinely well done, they are few and far between. The majority of the VFX is laughable. The claim that this movie is meant for a 3D viewing experience on the big screen falls flat, as even in theatres, the VFX fails to impress.

Another major drawback of "Adipurush" is the inauthenticity of the character looks and the departure from the original scriptures. Prabhas and Kriti Sanon, who play Shri Ram and Sita Ma, respectively, do not capture the essence of their characters convincingly. Saif Ali Khan's portrayal of Raavan is also disappointing, with a look reminiscent of Khilji rather than the powerful Raavan. The appearance of Hanuman ji played by Devdutta Nage lacks the necessary impact, resembling Abdul from "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah." Meghnaad's heavily tattooed body feels out of place and is a poor artistic choice.

The writing and dialogues in the film are abysmal. Lines such as "Teri bua ka bageecha hai kya jo hawa khane chale aaya" and "kapda tere baap ka, tere tere baap ka... Aag tere baap ki" are cringeworthy and ridiculous. These dialogues do not do justice to the divine characters depicted in the scriptures and are a letdown for the audience.

When it comes to performances, the casting choices prove to be miscasts. Prabhas and Kriti Sanon fail to embody Raghav and Janaki, as previously mentioned. While Kriti Sanon's performance is passable, Prabhas delivers a terrible portrayal, struggling to deliver dialogues in the Hindi version. Saif Ali Khan's performance as Raavan stands out, but it is overshadowed by the distracting hairstyle. Sunny Singh's portrayal of Laxman feels bland and lacks depth.

The only saving grace of "Adipurush" is the music and background score composed by Ajay-Atul. Their work is excellent and creates an immersive experience. The climax, accompanied by their score, evokes a powerful response from the audience, with chants of "Jai Shree Ram" filling the theater. Even the remake of "Ram Siya Ram" is exceptionally well done and preferable to the original.

However, amidst these few positive aspects, several scenes in the movie incite anger and feel like an insult to our gods and scriptures. Prabhas' entry scene and Hanuman ji's exaggerated screams are among the moments that leave a bitter taste. The unnecessary sexualization of characters like Vibhishan's wife further adds to the film's disregard for religious sentiments. The makers seem to exploit and manipulate the emotions of Hindus, which is deeply disappointing and shameful.

In conclusion, "Adipurush" falls short of expectations and feels like a cartoonish portrayal of the epic tale. The VFX remains subpar despite the delay, and the character looks deviate from the original scriptures. The writing and dialogues are cringeworthy, and most of the performances are miscast. The only redeeming aspect of "Adipurush" is the music and background score by Ajay-Atul, which stands out as excellent. However, it is overshadowed by the film's disrespectful treatment of our gods and scriptures. Director Om Raut took a massive budget of 700 crores but delivered a product that resembles a trial version of a mobile game. The movie feels like a slap in the face to the Hindu community, and I, for one, will never forgive the makers for their blatant disrespect. "Adipurush" fails to honor our gods and scriptures while disappointing on multiple levels.