Adipurush: Prabhas confesses he was 'frightened' to play Lord Ram, calls it the 'most prestigious film' of his life

Adipurush, one of the most anticipated Indian films of 2023, whose first teaser was released here on Sunday, unites the talents of Prabhas (of the Baahubali franchise) and Om Raut, who directed the Ajay Devgn-starrer Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, the biggest Indian box office hit of 2020. Adipurush is Raut's take on the Ramayana by Valmiki. The film is set 7,000 years ago and in the film, Prabhas's character is not called Lord Ram, he is Raghav, which is another name for Ram. Sita, played by Kriti Sanon, is called Janaki (as in King Janaka's daughter), while Saif Ali Khan's Ravana is Lankesh (lord of Lanka), which are also derivatives of their Ramayana names, notes Variety.

Adipurush literally means first man, but here the interpretation is that of best man. Post-Tanhaji, Raut could have called any Indian A-lister for his next film but he chose Prabhas. "I always had Prabhas in my mind when I was writing Raghav's character -- it became so compelling for me," Raut said in a conversation with Variety. "If it was not him, I would have not made the film."

Raut made it to Hyderabad from Mumbai in the middle of India's first Covid-19 lockdown to discuss the film with Prabhas in person. The actor describes the meeting as a "super exciting day".

READ: Adipurush teaser: Netizens express disappointment over Saif Ali Khan's Ravan look, compare it with Mughal invaders

"After three days, I got a little stressed because I thought it's the most precious film for the country -- can I do it?" Prabhas told Variety. "Om said not to worry and so it was a beautiful thing that happened. I think it's the most prestigious film in my life."

Prabhas says he signed on because of Raut's intriguing screenplay and how it integrates the history and culture of India. "The way he designed the film was amazing, huge. And I think he made it very well," Prabhas said.

Meanwhile, as per indianexpress.com, on Sunday at the teaser launch event that took place in Ayodhya, Prabhas confessed he was frightened to do the character.

"We are here to take Lord Ram's blessings for Adipurush. I was really frightened to do this character. I called up Om after three days and said if I make some mistake… With a lot of love, respect and fear we did this film. May Lord Ram bless us," Prabhas said.

Adipurush, the mega Indian film produced by T Series and Retrophiles, is a visual extravaganza slated to release on January 12, 2023, in IMAX and 3D. Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Om, Prasad Sutar, and Rajesh Nair, the film will be released in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada.