Dear Bollywood and the makers of Adipurush,
Let me be straight and request you to stop making films if you cannot do justice to mythology – Where you literally had no job to do other than putting in money – You had a readymade plot, a sure shot formula for a hit film, religious angle and support from the audience. Still, you managed to ruin the mythology for the audience.
The cast is talented – Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan, and Prabhas are the finest actors we have in the industry. Yet their potential was wasted. Kriti Sanon has always shined in her performances and she has done justice to what was given to her. But we expected more. Prabhas is struggling with his Bahubali image. Saif Ali Khan, who often leaves the audience mesmerized became the comic element in the film. I cannot just blame the makers. The actors also have a say in editing, mostly. I want to understand why no one called out the cheap dialogues, the irrelevant scenes, or the poor quality VFX?
Stop underestimating the intelligence of the audience – They are not looking for cheap and misogynistic dialogues but content that would make sense and is relatable.
Adipurush, an Indian mythological action film based on the Hindu epic Ramayana is written and directed by Om Raut and produced by T-Series and Retrophiles. The film made on a budget of Rs 600 crore stars Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon, Sunny Singh, and Devdatta Nage.
Adipurush is a missed business opportunity by the film industry – We all know how a film that has a religious or patriotic side is a blockbuster at the box office. Adipurush was being promoted at Ayodhya and the makers were leveraging the sentiments of the Hindu audiences. However, Om Raut and his team killed the evergreen success model that Bollywood usually depends on.
When a filmmaker picks up an evergreen subject that has already been shown to the audience but has a distinct value – Like Dev Das or Agneepath, that was made for a different set of audiences at different times, chances are that the audience will appreciate it. The expectations were the same with Adipurush where people were waiting to watch Ramayana being told in a new format with VFX and in 3D. But the makers, in order to add a modern twist, messed it up and ended up hurting the sentiments of the viewers.
The makers kept the audience glued with claims of serving them the best VFX, but they miserably failed at that, too. VFX was rather funny in Adipurush and no one would believe that the makers used approximately Rs 600 crore on the film. To make things worse, the costumes used in the film just don’t go well with the mythology. It breaks the heart of several fans and viewers to see the misrepresentation.
The makers could have gained so much from the film, not just in terms of money and revenue but also credibility that has been lost somewhere. The makers should have thought of justifying the budget of the film, the massive fees of the actors, and the price of movie tickets. If Adipurush would have matched the expectations of the audience, it would have helped the entire Hindi film industry to get back on its feet once again.
This open letter is for the Hindi film industry – the filmmakers, writers, producers, actors, and behind-the-scenes crew – Please do not underestimate the intelligence of the audience. They do not want masala films but sensible content. Please do not mess with the already set formulas. It’s a loss for Bollywood and the audience.
Thank you
Eshita Bhargava
