Sunil Lahri, best known for playing Lakshman in the enduring television series Ramayan created by Ramanand Sagar, has once more shared his opinions on the differences between the beloved programme and the recently released movie Adipurush.
“I watched the film purposely because I didn’t want to say anything without watching the film. And watching it was very disappointing. I never expected the makers with such background and work to credit, to make such a film. They have made a joke out of the epic and our sanskriti, and it is an insult,” Lahri tells us
Ramayan was able to forge a strong emotional connection with viewers, whereas Adipurush was unable to do the same, claims Lahri. Ramayan continued to enthral viewers and draw in record-breaking viewership when it was rerun in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown, he noted, despite the abundance of options in the "OTT-era".
He criticises the movie for not defining its characters clearly enough and issues a warning against manipulating the audience's emotions, especially when tackling a well-known epic like the Ramayan.
Lahri emphasised the significance of relating to the audience's emotions and stressed that lame justifications cannot excuse a lack of engagement. He used the enormous popularity of Ramayan during its rerun as an illustration, despite the fact that there are now 300 television channels, OTT platforms, and social media. He emphasised that emotional resonance was necessary for people to feel connected.
He remarks on Saif Ali Khan's portrayal of Ravan, “If we forget that he was playing the role of Ravan, and a negative character, then we can say he did a good job. We can’t call his character Ravan because he was very intelligent. Saif’s portrayal was wrong from the start which is the look. He was looking more like a Mughal. I don’t know what the brief was. We couldn’t differentiate between Ram and Lakshman because they looked the same, be it body or expression.”
According to Lahiri, the mistake was made by the director and the creative team rather than the actors, and as a result, the film lacks an emotional connection.
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