Adipurush & 4 Other Bollywood Films With A Contemporary Take On The Ramayana

The teaser of the upcoming pan-Indian film Adipurush starring Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, and Kriti Sanon dropped on October 2, 2022. From the portrayal of Raavan by Saif Ali Ali Khan to the “cartoonish” VFX, the teaser has started a meme fest as well as stirred several controversies on social media since its release.

However, there have also been controversies regarding Raavan’s appearance and how he has been penned down in any manuscript. While we are at it, let us take a look at four Bollywood films that have a contemporary take on the epic Ramayana.

Raavan

Directed by Mani Ratnam, the 2010 epic film Raavan stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The film narrates the crux of the epic Ramayana but with a modernised take on the plot. It is a story from the perspective of Raavan. Bachchan plays the role of a naxalite named Beera Munda (Raavan) who is on the hit list of the cops but is respected by the villagers. As the story unfolds, he kidnaps Raagini (played by Rai) hoping to avenge the death of his sister Jamunia.

Don't Miss:Bigg Boss 16: Shalin-Gautam Rivalry, BB Says Shut Up Archana, & Other Highlights

RRR

Starring Ram Charan, Jr NTR, and Alia Bhatt, the 2022 Telugu epic action drama film RRR is directed by SS Rajamouli. Set in the 1920s, the film revolves around two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao), and their fight against the British Raj. The storyline explores the undocumented period in their lives when both revolutionaries went into obscurity before they began the fight for their country. However, whoever has watched the film cannot deny that several moments in the film as well as its characters reminded them of Ramayana, especially with Charan’s portrayal of Rama, Bhatt’s portrayal of Sita and Jr NTR’s with Hanuman.

Hum Saath Saath Hain

The 1999 Hindi family drama film Hum Saath Saath Hain took major inspiration from Ramayana. Featuring an ensemble cast comprising Mohnish Bahl, Tabu, Salman Khan, Sonali Bendre, Saif Ali Khan, and Karisma Kapoor, the story revolves around a joint family, their values, unity, and gradually growing apart. The crux of the film is a contemporary take on the relationship of step brothers in Ramayana and Lord Ram’s exile in the epic.

Don't Miss:From Dear Zindagi To Tamasha, 4 Bollywood Films On Mental Health

Baahubali: The Conclusion

The 2017 magnum opus film Baahubali: The Conclusion, starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah, Ramya Krishna, Sathyaraj, Nassar, and Subbaraju is yet another S S Rajamouli directorial. While the prequel, Baahubali: The Beginning, had references to the epic Mahabharata, the sequel drew inspiration from Ramayana when Baahubali (Prabhas) and Devasena (Shetty) went in to exile as they were banished from the Royal Palace.

"All my movies are inspired by Mahabharata and Ramayana because those are two epics that have been fed to me right from my childhood. I get my emotional connect from those epics," said Rajamouli in an interview.

Also Watch: