Om Raut's directorial 'Adipurush' was one of the most awaited films of 2023 and many believed that the movie had the potential to be the biggest blockbuster of Indian cinema. But things turned upside down when the teaser of 'Adipurush' received criticism and immense backlash for its poor VFX and a different portrayal of the epic Ramayana. Despite postponing the release date by six months, making changes to the film and doing promotions on a grand scale, the audience couldn't help but express their dissatisfaction with 'Adipurush'.
Promotion in the name of religion and star power:
'Adipurush' is based on the Hindu epic Ramayana and it is obvious that the makers went all to promote the film in the name of Hinduism. The first look and teaser of 'Adipurush' was launched at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, which is the holy land of Lord Ram on the occasion of Dussehra. But the chants of 'Jai Shree Ram' and 'Jai Siya Ram' during its teaser launch did not impress the audience as the movie received severe backlash due to its bad special effects.
Due to the severe backlash, the release date of 'Adipurush' was postponed by six months as it was released on June 16, 2023. Ahead of its release, several grand events were held to promote the film where thousands of people were gathered as well.
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The audience had high expectations from the film because of Prabhas, who rose to huge popularity all over the country because of the pan-India franchise 'Baahubali'. Directed by SS Rajamouli, 'Baahubali' made Prabhas a pan-India star, with several big-budgeted films riding on his shoulders including 'Adipurush'. Even though Prabhas' portrayal of Ram received thumbs up from the audience, the movie couldn't give proper justice to Ramayana.
Kriti Sanon, who played Janaki aka Sita in 'Adipurush', came out in support of her film and said that director Om Raut needs time to work on the film. “As Om Raut, my director has mentioned in the note that was brought out, it is a film that we all are extremely proud of. It is a film which is of grand canvas; it is a part of our history and is extremely important. It needs to be put out in the right way and in the best possible way because that’s what he (Om) also had envisioned,” she said.
She further added, "So a one-minute 35-second teaser came out. There is a lot more to the film that he (Om) needs to work on, and needs time. We all want to give it the best shot because this is an opportunity to get our history, to get our religion globally out there. It is a story that we all are proud of, so it needs to be done in the best possible way. And I think he is going to give it all the talent that it needs, and all the effort it needs because the heart and the soul are in the right place.”
To promote the film, the makers announced that a seat would be reserved for Lord Hanuman in each theatre. Several celebrities decided to donate the tickets of 'Adipurush' to NGOs, thus indirectly helping in the film's promotion. Ahead of the release of 'Sdipurush', a special screening of the film's trailer was held in Hyderabad and several thousands of fans attended the event chanting 'Jai Shree Ram'.
Content is the king:
'Adipurush' had an excellent weekend at the box office due to its advance bookings but its box office collection continued to fall after three days with no chance of revival. 'Adipurush' was reportedly made on a budget of Rs 500-600 crore, making it one of the most expensive Indian films. Even with this massive budget, the movie failed to create the world of Ramayana on the screen, especially when Indian cinema has made some brilliant VFX-heavy films like 'Brahmastra' and 'RRR' in recent times.
Due to the decline in its box office numbers, the tickets for 'Adipurush' was made available at Rs 150 and the price has now been dropped to Rs 112. The debacle of 'Adipurush' at the box office shows that star power and promotions by using the public's religious sentiments can save the film if the content is not up to the mark.