Adipurush (transl. First man) is a 2023 Indian mythological action film based on the Hindu epic Ramayana.The film is directed and co-written by Om Raut and produced by T-Series and Retrophiles. Shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu, the film features Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon, Sunny Singh, and Devdutta Nage.
The film was announced in August 2020, through an official motion poster. Principal photography, which took place primarily in Mumbai, commenced in February 2021 and ended in November 2021. The film’s music is composed by Ajay–Atul. Adipurush is budgeted at ₹500 crore (US$60 million)–₹700 crore (US$84 million) placing it in the list of most expensive Indian films.
Adipurush was released on 16 June 2023 to negative reviews from critics, who criticised the film’s screenplay, dialogues and visuals. It emerged as a box office bomb.
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| Directed by | Om Raut |
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| Based on | Ramayana by Valmiki |
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| Cinematography | Karthik Palani |
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Running time
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179 minutes |
| Country | India |
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| Budget | est.₹500–700 crore |
| Box office | est.₹354 crore |
Cast
- Prabhas as Raghava, the seventh avatar of lord Vishnu and the warrior prince of Kosala, who lives a simple life in the forests with his wife and brother. (Dubbed by Sharad Kelkar in Hindi)
- Kriti Sanon as Janaki, avatar of goddess Lakshmi, Raghava’s wife, who is abducted by Lankesh.
- Saif Ali Khan as Ravana / Lankesh, the antagonistic demon king of Sri Lanka. He sports ten heads and has numerous powers including superhuman strength and size alteration. (Dubbed by P. Ravi Shankar in Telugu and Tamil)
- Sunny Singh as Shesh, Raghava’s younger brother and avatar of Sheshnag.
- Devdatta Nage as Bajrang, a close friend to the brothers and a deity resembling a monkey, known for his invulnerability and strength. He has similar abilities to Lankesh.
- Vatsal Sheth as Indrajit
- Sonal Chauhan as Mandodari
- Siddhant Karnick as Vibhishana, Lankesh’s brother, who opposes his decision to abduct Janaki.
- Ayesha Madhukar as Maya
- Tejaswini Pandit as Shurpanakha, a demoness and Lankesh’s sister.
- Krishna Kotian as Dasharatha, Raghava’s father and the king of Kosala.
- Sonali Khare as Kaikeyi, Raghava’s wicked stepmother, who forces his exile.
- Lavi Pajni as Kumbhakarna, another brother and henchman of Lankesh known for his strength and appetite.
- Ajit Shidhaye as Prahasta
- Asha Sharma as Shabari
- Urvi Singh as the young Shabari
- Bijay J. Anand as Brahma
- Neha Khan as Trijata
- Rehan Khan as Maricha
- Gaurrav Walia as Sugriva
- Manohar Pandey as Angad
- Roopesh Jadhav as Jambavan
- Kaustav Sinha as Nala
- Saurabh Thakare as Nila
- Prashant Uthale as Shuka
- Rajesh K Salhotra as Dhakdasur
Release
The film’s teaser was released on 2 October 2022 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.The teaser received heavy criticism for its visual effects and CGI. The film’s trailer was released on 9 May 2023, and was seen as an improvement from the teaser.
