"Adipurush" (2023) reimagines the timeless Hindu epic Ramayana in a modern mythological spectacle, chronicling Prince Raghav's (Rama) 14-year exile alongside his wife Janaki (Sita) and brother Shesh (Lakshmana). When Janaki is abducted by the tyrannical demon king Lankesh (Ravana), Raghav forges an alliance with the mighty Vanar warriors, led by Hanuman, to construct the Ram Setu bridge and storm Lanka in a quest for justice and reunion. Directed by Om Raut, the film blends high-fantasy action with themes of dharma, devotion, and the eternal battle between good and evil, though it's marred by controversial creative liberties, subpar VFX, and dialogue that sparked widespread backlash for diluting the sacred narrative.

Movie Details

  • Title: Adipurush (transl. The First Man)
  • Release Date: June 16, 2023 (theatrical in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam); August 11, 2023 (OTT premiere on Netflix in select languages)
  • Director: Om Raut
  • Writers: Om Raut (story, screenplay), Manoj Muntashir (dialogues)
  • Genre: Mythological Action, Fantasy, Drama
  • Language: Hindi (primary), Telugu (simultaneous shoot); dubbed in other South Indian languages
  • Cast:
    • Prabhas as Raghav (Lord Rama)
    • Kriti Sanon as Janaki (Sita)
    • Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh (Ravana)
    • Sunny Singh as Shesh (Lakshmana)
    • Devdutta Nage as Hanuman
    • Vatsal Sheth as Indrajit
    • Trishala Chandran as Anusuya
    • Ajinkya Dev as Vibhishana
  • Cinematographer: Karthik Palani
  • Editor: Ajay Kumar
  • Music Composer: Hans Zimmer (score), Sachet-Parampara (songs)
  • Runtime: 174 minutes (2 hours 54 minutes)
  • Production: T-Series Films, Retrophiles
  • Box Office: ₹350-400 crore worldwide (opened strong at ₹140 crore but plummeted due to backlash; budget ₹500-700 crore, resulting in financial losses)
  • IMDb Rating: 2.6/10
  • Notable: One of India's most expensive films with heavy VFX investment (₹250 crore); faced severe criticism for poor CGI, altered characterizations, and dialogues (e.g., "Bua" for aunt); reshoots and dialogue rewrites post-trailer backlash; inspired a tie-in mobile game "Epic Quiz: Adipurush" IMDb Page Wikipedia Overview Official Trailer on YouTube Rotten Tomatoes Reviews Netflix Streaming Pinkvilla Details Filmibeat Box Office Roger Ebert Review