Prabhas, Om Raut on Teaming for ‘Adipurush’: ‘It’s the Most Precious Film for the Country’ (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comNaman Ramachandran “Adipurush,” one of the most anticipated Indian films of 2023, unites the talents of Prabhas (the Baahubali franchise) and Om Raut, who directed Ajay Devgn-starring “Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior,” the biggest Indian box office hit of 2020 with a $50 million gross. “Adipurush” is Raut’s take on Indian mythological epic “Ramayana,” by Valmiki, where Rama, the king of Ayodhya, travels to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita, who has been abducted by the king Ravana. “Adipurush” is set 7,000 years ago and in the film, Prabhas’ character is not called Rama, he is Raghav, another name for Rama.
Sita, played by Kriti Sanon, is called Janaki, while Saif Ali Khan’s Ravana is Lankesh, also derivatives of their “Ramayana” names.
Adipurush literally means “first man,” but here the interpretation is that of “best man.” Post “Tanhaji,” Raut could have called any Indian A-lister for his next film but he chose Prabhas. “I always had Prabhas in my mind when I was writing Raghav’s character – it became so compelling for me,” Raut told Variety. “If it was not him, I would have not made the film.” Raut made it to Hyderabad from Mumbai in the middle of India’s first COVID-19 lockdown to discuss the film with Prabhas in person.
The actor describes the meeting as a “super exciting day.” “After three days, I got a little stressed because I thought it’s the most precious film for the country – can I do it?,” Prabhas told Variety. “Om said not to worry and so it was a beautiful thing that happened.
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