Adipurush director Om Raut addresses negative reviews, says only ‘fools’ claim to fully understand the Ramayana
Adipurush director Om Raut said that nobody has the capacity to fully understand the Ramayana. He also addressed the negative reviews that the movie has received.
Filmmaker Om Raut’s Adipurush debuted with mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, but its box office performance tells a different story. The film has surpassed the Rs 200 crore mark within the first two days of its release, leaving Raut “incredibly proud” of the results. Addressing complaints about the changes that have been made to the Ramayana’s story in the film, Raut also acknowledged that the epic is a vast and expansive tale, and Adipurush merely showcases a small portion of it.
In an interview with Republic, the filmmaker said that despite the negative reviews, audiences at the cinema hall have been chanting “Jai Shri Ram ” during the film’s screenings, and this response has left him feeling incredibly happy and proud. He said, “What is more important is the type of response that the film is getting at the box office. I’m very happy to say that we are going for an unprecedented number of day one of the global box office.” Adipurush made Rs 140 crore globally on its first day, but considering its massive Rs 600 crore budget, there’s a long road ahead of it.
The filmmaker admitted that claiming to completely understand the Ramayana would be a mistake. He said, “If I kind of sit down and tell you that I have understood the drama, I think it will be a serious error, because nobody, I feel, has the capacity to understand Ramayana.” He added, “Whatever Ramayana that I have understood, whatever little bit you know, it’s like a squirrel’s contribution. That little bit that I have understood of the Ramayana is something that I’ve tried to portray onto celluloid.”
The director said that the version of the Ramayana that he grew up watching on television, told a larger story. However, Adipurush focuses specifically on one section of the Ramayana, namely the Yuddha Kanda. He said, “Ramayana is so large that it is impossible for anybody to understand. If they say that you understand Ramayana, they are fools, or they are lying.”
Actor Arun Govil, known for his portrayal of Lord Rama in Ramanand Sagar’s classic television adaptation of the Ramayana, also expressed displeasure and revealed that he has not watched the film yet. Govil also had a discussion with the makers of Adipurush after the release of the first teaser, where he shared his opinions and inputs.
What's Your Reaction?
