Swarajya Logo
Swarajya Logo
Politics States Economy Society Business Culture Infra Defence World Books Ideas Science Technology Heritage Archives Legal Movies Sports
  • Our Views
    Politics States Economy Society Business Culture Infra Defence World Books Ideas Science Technology Heritage Archives Legal Movies Sports
  • Magazine
  • Store

About Swarajya

Swarajya is a publication by Kovai Media Private Limited.

Swarajya - a big tent for liberal right of centre discourse that reaches out, engages and caters to the new India.

editor@swarajyamag.com

Useful Links

  • About Us
  • Subscriptions Support
  • Editorial Philosophy
  • Press Kit
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Code of Conduct
  • Plagiarism Policy
  • Refund & Cancellation Policy

Useful Links

  • About Us
  • Subscriptions Support
  • Editorial Philosophy
  • Press Kit
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Code of Conduct
  • Plagiarism Policy
  • Refund & Cancellation Policy

Participate

  • Contact Us
  • Write for us
  • Style Guide
  • Jobs

Stay Connected

  • Artboard 2 Copy 6Created with Sketch.
    Artboard 2 Copy 10Created with Sketch.
    Artboard 2 Copy 7Created with Sketch.
    Artboard 2 Copy 9Created with Sketch.
  • Andriod Logo
  • IOS Logo

Newsletters

@Evening: 🎦 The Future Of Bollywood After The Disaster That Is 'Adipurush'

Karan KambleMonday, June 19, 2023 7:18 pm IST
Article Hero Image
Article Hero Image

🙅 Public trust erodes

A still from 'Adipurush' showing Saif Ali Khan as Ravan
A still from 'Adipurush' showing Saif Ali Khan as Ravan
A still from 'Adipurush' showing Saif Ali Khan as Ravan

The repercussions of Adipurush's hugely negative feedback are quite concerning for an already ailing Bollywood industry, write Swati Goel Sharma and Sanjeev Newar in Swarajya.

Context: Every aspect of the Prabhas-starrer has been slammed, from its pedestrian dialogue and lacklustre acting to subpar visual effects and unaesthetic costumes.

  • Social media has been inundated with derisive memes and furious outbursts against Adipurush.

  • Audiences argue that the film fails to capture the essence of the source material — the great epic of Ramayana — and lacks the reverence and depth expected from the adaptation of a sacred text.

  • Even professional movie critics, evaluating the film solely on its entertainment value and business potential, have labelled it a “disappointment”.

Bollywood sinking? Fair to say, Adipurush has further eroded public trust in Bollywood when it comes to cultural sensitivity and portrayal of Hindu scriptures and figures.

  • Swarajya has previously written on how the portrayal of Lord Ram has been unflattering in Bollywood since at least the 1950s.

  • Notable films like Awaara and Chhalia depicted Lord Ram as responsible for wife abandonment and betrayal.

  • As social dramas made way for masala films in the 1970s and 1980s, mocking Lord Ram became the norm.

  • Ramlila, a traditional dramatic reenactment of the Ramayan, became a source of laughter, with scenes deliberately portraying Lord Ram and Lakshman as beaten and humiliated characters.

  • The industry’s negative portrayal of Lord Ram seems perplexing, considering the unprecedented success of the TV series Ramayan, which captivated audiences across India.

Flipping the script. Bollywood has also been elevating the status of Ravan, often portraying him as an underdog hero.

  • Films like Raavan and Bhavai (previously titled Ravan Leela) present Ravan sympathetically and question Lord Ram's greatness.

  • The initial criticism directed at Adipurush in 2020 was also over this growing trend as Saif Ali Khan, who plays Ravan, indicated that the film would justify Ravan's abduction of Sita and present him as humane.

  • The statement ignited concerns even before the release of the teaser two years later, which then faced heightened scrutiny from viewers.

  • The disappointment ultimately was palpable.

Bollywood can't deliver quality? It also seems like the industry has yet again failed to deliver high-quality storytelling and technical expertise that justifies the audience’s time and investment.

  • Recent films that seemed to ride on the nationalistic wave, Ram Setu and Samrat Prithviraj, also left the audience disappointed because of the poor screenplay, acting, and dialogues.

Shadow over Bollywood biz. After Adipurush's release, shares of PVR-Inox shares declined nearly 3 per cent on Friday.

  • While the box-office fate of Adipurush is yet to be determined, the film's initial criticism sends a warning signal for other big-ticket movies slated for release this year.

  • These include Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani featuring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, Animal featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Jawan and Dunki featuring Shah Rukh Khan, and Tiger 3 featuring Salman Khan.

Tags
Newsletters

Comments ↓

An Appeal...


 

Dear Reader,

 

As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.

 

Our business model is you and your subscription.  And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.

 

We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.

 

Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.

Get Swarajya in your inbox.


Magazine


Swarajya Magazine Cover Image
Merchandise

Merchandise


    Politics

    Four Reasons Why BJP Swept The State Of Madhya Pradesh

    Four Reasons Why BJP Swept The State Of Madhya Pradesh

    Tushar Gupta
    2h

    BJP Hits The High Notes; Congress Has To Be Happy With Consolation Prize

    R Jagannathan
    2h

    Mathur, Mandaviya, Nitin Nabin: Men Behind BJP's Spectacular Comeback In Chhattisgarh

    Swarajya Staff
    2h

    Economy

    Textile Industry In Tamil Nadu Affected By Increased Competitiveness Of Other States; High Cost Of Power And Labour Among Reasons: Report

    Textile Industry In Tamil Nadu Affected By Increased Competitiveness Of Other States; High Cost Of Power And Labour Among Reasons: Report

    Swarajya Staff
    1d

    Sorry, Cassandras. India's GDP Could Well Top 7 Per Cent In Fiscal 2023-24

    R Jagannathan
    3d

    India's GDP Grows 7.6 Per Cent In July-September Quarter

    Nayan Dwivedi
    3d

    Defence

    India To Secure Entire Pakistan And Bangladesh Borders In Next Two Years: Home Minister Amit Shah On BSF Day

    India To Secure Entire Pakistan And Bangladesh Borders In Next Two Years: Home Minister Amit Shah On BSF Day

    Nayan Dwivedi
    2d

    Indian Navy Makes History By Appointing First Female 'Commanding Officer' Of A Naval Ship

    Swarajya Staff
    2d

    Centre Putting All-Out Efforts To Bring Them Back: Indian Navy Chief On Veterans Sentenced To Death In Qatar

    Swarajya Staff
    2d

    World

    Hamas Leader, Who Virtually Addressed A Pro-Palestine Rally In Kerala In October, On Israeli Spy Agency's 'Kill List': Report

    Hamas Leader, Who Virtually Addressed A Pro-Palestine Rally In Kerala In October, On Israeli Spy Agency's 'Kill List': Report

    Swarajya Staff
    1d

    New Zealand: Three Khalistani Extremists Sentenced For Attempted Murder Of Radio Host Harnek Singh

    Swarajya Staff
    1d

    Brazilian City Council Unknowingly Enacts First AI-Written Ordinance

    Swarajya Staff
    2d

    Culture

    'Animal': Sandeep Reddy Vanga 2 – Liberals 0

    'Animal': Sandeep Reddy Vanga 2 – Liberals 0

    K Balakumar
    1d

    Why The Insidious Anti-Hindu Communalism Of Certain Directors Goes Scot-Free

    Anonymous Contributor
    1d

    Napoleon Film Review: Ridley Scott’s Waterloo

    Venu Gopal Narayanan
    1d
    States

    infrastructure


    Ankit Saxena
    1

    BJP’s Big Infrastructure Push In Madhya Pradesh Assured Their Victory

    6 Mins Read
    Arun Kumar Das
    2

    'Our Motto Is To Mobilise India By Making In India, For India And For The World': Siemens Mobility Head

    3 Mins Read
    Arun Kumar Das
    3

    Government Propels National Green Hydrogen Mission With Kochi Workshop

    2 Mins Read
    Arun Kumar Das
    4

    Railways Achieves 1015.6 Million Tonnes Freight Loading Between April-November 2023

    1 Mins Read