Why the Adipurush teaser made Indians miss the original Ramayana anime film?
Ramayana is an epic that every Indian man, woman, and child is aware of. It is an irreplaceable part of our heritage and thus close to the hearts of devout Hindus. The story focuses on Prince Ramachandra of Ayodhya as he navigates his way through various obstacles and leads an unlikely army of humanoids against the prideful Ravana.
The Adipurush teaser was released a few days ago. Prabhas plays the role of Maryada Purushottam Rama, whose whole purpose is to vanquish evil on Earth. Saif Ali Khan portrays the character of Lankesh, based on King Ravana in the original epic. Despite the project having two established performers, the teaser has failed to impress the Indian youth. Even politicians are agitated about the production headed by Om Raut (known for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior).
Mr. Raut is no stranger to the world of CGI and VFX. Yet the special effects present in the teaser look largely cartoonish. I could perhaps empathize with the filmmakers if the movie had been released a decade ago. In 2022 such mediocre efforts deserve condemnation.
Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama is an anime movie conceptualized in the early 1990s. Backed by Yugo Sako, Koichi Sasaki, and Ram Mohan, the film has earned 800 million JPY in almost three decades till now.
Even though during its release, the movie faced a ton of controversy and backlash from some disturbed individuals amongst the Indian masses, the finished product is a summation of efforts involving more than 450 people from Japan and India.
While there are some changes in the 1993 anime film (such as the inclusion of the Sudarshan chakra, which is Krishna’s weapon, not Rama’s), those who love the epic will undoubtedly enjoy this masterpiece, no matter how many times it airs on Indian TV.
To date, this movie is the only successful example of a collaboration between Japanese and Indian animators that have created such a massive impact. Heck, even the English version (Prince of Light) had Bryan Cranston (known for Breaking Bad) and James Earl Jones (known for Star Wars) providing their voices.
Arun Govil is a famous actor renowned for his role as Rama in the original Ramayana produced by Ramanand Sagar. He also voiced the exemplary prince in the anime adaptation.
Main Staff
- Director: Koiichi Sasaki, Ram Mohan, Yugo Sako
- Original Work: Maharishi Valmiki
- Character Design: Moriyasu Taniguchi (known for Bastard!!, Beyblade, Angel Heart)
- Art Director: Satoshi Matsuoka (known for Naruto, Spriggan)
- Animation Director: Kazuyuki Kobayashi (known for Castle in the Sky, Rurouni Kenshin)
- Executive Producer: Atsushi Matsuo
- Key Animation: Akihiko Nomura (known for Dragon Ball), Akihiro Kanayama (known for Baki), Akio Mitani (known for Adventures of the Little Koala), and dozens of others
Adipurush’s teaser’s advent, several influencers, and reviewers took to Twitter and other forms of social media to express their anger toward the upcoming venture. Take a look at a few reactions.
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As you can see, people are not happy with Adipurush at all. Ramayana is not just an epic. It is an emotion for all those who care about our rich culture. If the animated Ramayana created almost 30 years ago can put Adipurush to shame, how far have we fallen?
Saif Ali Khan once stated that his Ravana would make people empathize with the demonic king. Well, he is right; seeing Raavan dressed like an angry clown living in a palace that embodies darkness rather than decadence makes me feel terrible for him. In fact, I’m sure Adipurush pains the spirit of Ravana far more than Ramachandra’s final blow.
What are your thoughts on this issue? We deserve a remastered version of the original Ramayana that was released in 1993 (slated to be unleashed this year, marking the 70-year bond between India and Japan). Will the makers of Adipurush improve the CGI and delay the film’s release? Let us know your opinion in the comment section.
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