Prabhas, now a popular pan-Indian actor, is all set to star in upcoming magnum opus Adipurush, which will mark the actor’s first collaboration with director Om Raut. The film is said to be an adaptation of a popular Indian epic. Going by the title poster, one assumes that the story is based on the Ramayana, and that Prabhas will be seen playing Lord Rama. Actor Saif Ali Khan is the next big addition to the cast. It was announced via a poster recently that Saif Ali Khan will be seen as Lankesh, which is another name for Raavana. Saif had also played the antagonist in director Om Raut's last film Tanhaji, which was a multiplex hit.
Rumours were that the makers were looking at actors like Anushka Shetty, Anushka Sharma, Kiara Advani and Keerthy Suresh for the female lead. However, according to a Mumbai Mirror report, Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon might be roped in to play the leading lady. However, the makers are yet to make an official announcement. If Kriti comes on board, this film will mark her debut in south Indian film industry.
In his latest interview to a leading daily, Om Raut opened up on why he roped in Prabhas for this project. “I have seen him (as the lead) in my head, on my computer, in my script — if there is 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 project is currently in its pre-production stage and will go on the floors next year. The makers are eyeing a massive 2022 release. However, they are yet to reveal the rest of the cast and crew, as talks are underway with several leading actors from Bollywood to play crucial roles. According to sources close to the film unit, a huge budget has been earmarked for the graphics, and it will be entirely shot in a green mat, similar to several Hollywood films. The makers are in talks with the VFX supervisors of Avatar and Star Wars to work on the graphics in this epic period action.
Adipurush will be shot as a bilingual in Telugu and Hindi. It will be dubbed and released in other languages such as Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada, as well as several foreign languages. Adipurush is produced by Bhushan Kumar under T-series. This film will be Prabhas's third with producer Bhushan Kumar, after Saaho and Radhe Shyam.
Meanwhile, Prabhas has resumed shooting for Radhe Shyam in Hyderabad. Directed by Radha Krishna Kumar, the project went on the floors in January earlier this year. Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the team successfully wrapped up their Georgian schedule in March and returned to India safely. According to reports, the Indian schedule of the film is held in a specially erected set in Annapurna Studios, Hyderabad.
Read: Kriti Sanon to play Sita in Adipurush that features Prabhas
(Content provided by Digital Native)