Prabhas, who is now easily one of the biggest pan-Indian actors in the country, is all set to star in the upcoming magnum opus Adipurush, which will mark the actor’s first-time collaboration with director Om Raut. The makers had confirmed that the film will be an adaptation of a popular Indian epic. The title poster hints that the film could be based on Ramayan and that Prabhas could be seen playing Lord Ram.
Now in an interview with TOI, director SS Rajamouli reportedly said, “I saw the first-look of the film long ago and I believe Prabhas fits the role of Lord Ram perfectly. There is no better time for him to portray this character. Weeks ago we saw the entire country reverberate with Lord Ram’s chant during the Bhumi Puja in Ayodhya. I think the country will enjoy seeing Prabhas playing the role. I have heard about the film and I think it’s going to be great.”
Talking about his next, RRR, Rajamouli said that he is awaiting his doctor’s permission to resume shooting, which will start in two to three weeks. He also added that the team will first shoot Jr NTR’s part once the shoot resumes and release his first look and may even the teaser in 10 days.
Adipurush’s director Om Raut was quoted in a recent interview as saying that nobody other than the Baahubali star could play Lord Ram in this big-budget adaptation of Indian epic Ramayan. “I have seen him (as the lead) in my head, on my computer, in my script — if there’s anybody who can play Prabhu Ram to perfection, it is Prabhas. As the biggest star in our country, he adds to the commercial value of the film. But more than that, he has a great combination of calmness and aggression. As the writer and director, that appealed to me,” Raut said.
The magnum opus will be shot as a bilingual in Telugu and Hindi and will be dubbed and released in other languages such as Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and several foreign languages. The project is currently in its pre-production stage and will go on the floors next year. The makers are eyeing a massive 2022 release.
Recent reports suggest that Keerthy Suresh has been signed as the leading lady but there’s been no official announcement yet on the casting. If Keerthy comes on board, it will be the first time she will play the lead opposite Prabhas.
Meanwhile, Prabhas will resume shooting for Radhe Shyam from September onwards. The project went on the floors in January this year. Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the team successfully wrapped up the Georgian schedule in March and returned to India safely. According to reports, the Indian schedule of the film will begin in a specially erected set in Annapurna Studios, Hyderabad. Pooja Hegde, who plays the female lead, will join this schedule along with other key actors. Prabhas also has a film with Mahanati director Nag Ashwin. Tipped to be a pan-Indian multilingual science-fiction project, Deepika Padukone has been roped in as the leading lady, making her Telugu debut.
(Content provided by Digital Native)