Ever since it was announced, Adipurush has grabbed attention. A big-budget mythological film based on the Ramayana — estimates peg it at Rs 500 crore, making it one of the most expensive Indian films ever made — Adipurush stars Prabhas as Raghav, Kriti Sanon as Janaki, and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh.

Shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu, Adipurush, that releases in January 2023 and is produced by Bhushan Kumar and T-Series, is directed by Om Raut, whose Hindi film directorial debut Tanhaji was a Rs 300-crore-plus blockbuster. Ahead of Ram Navami this Sunday, Om Raut spoke to The Telegraph on his passion project, what made him opt for Prabhas and why he doesn’t understand the term ‘pan-India’.

Adipurush has constantly been in the news since the day it was announced. How does it feel being at the helm of such a huge film with huge expectations?

I don’t think of it as any kind of weight. In this film, we are talking about a subject which is the pinnacle of Indian culture, so to speak. It’s a subject which has been with us for the last 7,000 years, and is practised in every village, every town.... Navratri is celebrated everywhere in this country every year for generations, with the passion and dedication of those artistes who have been performing Ramleela for so many years remaining constant.

Adipurush is just a reflection of that dedication and passion. I am glad our film is getting so much traction. I feel it’s more to do with how the audience feels a deep connection with the Ramayana.

When did you first become familiar with the story of Ramayana. For a lot of us growing up in the ’80s, our first brush with the epic was the popular series on Doordarshan....

I was also raised in the ’80s and that was a series we all watched. It’s a story that’s deeply impacted all of us, knowingly or unknowingly. We came to know about it from what our grandparents told us, supplemented by the series on Doordarshan. The story of good over evil is timeless and Ram is called ‘Maryada Purshottam’ for a reason... a man with all the best qualities possible. He’s the ideal human, that’s how he’s described as.

Even if the impact of Ramayana is not direct on some people, we are always, right from our childhood, taught to imbibe the best qualities that Ram personified. It’s almost impossible for one to identify how this story impacted us and when.

Saif Ali Khan plays Lankesh and Kriti Sanon stars as Janaki

Is the idea of this film also to acquaint the new generation with the story of the Ramayana?

Yes, one can say that. This is a story whose different aspects can impact different people in different ways at different times in their lives. Today, I may feel something about the story, and tomorrow the way I feel about it may be totally different. I have been working on this subject for so many years, but it will be stupid of me to say that I know the Ramayana completely.

The film definitely caters to young India. But if the film shows a certain aspect of the Ramayana to the younger audience, it will open up a different aspect of the story to the older audience. The Ramayana has something for everyone, and so does Adipurush. What the epic stands for is impossible to explore in one film, or for that matter, in several films. At this stage of my life, it’s the ‘paramveer’ Ram ( greatest hero), the ‘parakrami’ Ram (mighty) that appeals to me. In Adipurush, I am trying to portray the parakrami Ram.

Given the budget, the star power and the film’s sheer scale, the challenges of making Adipurush must have been manifold. What were the biggest?

Every film, whether it’s big or small, is a challenge on its own. Every film-maker and his crew goes through the challenges every day... that’s the nature of our job. But then, no complaints. I am thankful that I get to do a job that I love every day. I don’t think any day is any different, or any film is any different.

But, some films make the job a little more demanding, and some situations become demanding. For example, we shot Adipurush in the middle of the pandemic, and that, in itself, was a huge challenge. To shoot a costume drama with over 350 people on set in the middle of a pandemic was a huge task. We were dealing with a subject that didn’t allow social distancing of any type.

Also, when you are shooting a film based on the Ramayana, one is talking about sanctity and purity and good values. And that purity somehow empowers you to come to work and rise to every challenge.

I was supported by a brilliant cast and crew, all extremely talented and professional. That makes things very simple. Yes, every day is a challenge but at the same time, the people I work with make every challenge simple.

Adipurush is one among the proliferation of pan-India projects that have been announced over the last year or so. What does that mean to you as a film-maker?

I don’t understand this term ‘pan-India’ (laughs). I am not a businessman, I don’t understand these things and that’s a reality. I did not set out with the intention of making Adipurush as a pan-India film. I didn’t even know the term then! I went to Prabhas because I feel that his eyes speak a lot. I went to him because I felt he’s my Raghav, he’s my Adipurush. I feel he has that calmness in his eyes, he has an extremely pure soul that’s reflected in his eyes. He’s reached very close to my imagination of what my Adipurush is.

I signed him and we started working and then people started saying, ‘Ah! They are making a pan-India film.’ But that was never my initial intention. I just set out to make a film. I set out to tell my story. And I maintain that... I am telling my story... I don’t know anything about pan-India, pan-world! (Laughs) Honestly, that’s not even my job to understand. I have just made the film I wanted to make.

You finished shooting Adipurush in November 2021 and you will release it only in January 2023. I understand that this is a film which warrants a strenuous post-production process, but why such a long gap, especially in times as unpredictable as this?

I am actually taking a seven-month break to holiday in Miami! (Laughs)

I really need that break. But also, a film made on a scale like this needs some time. The film is shot in a particular way and has to be presented in a particular way. Even for Tanhaji, we worked on the visual effects for eight months. It needed that much time. For the visuals that I have envisioned for Adipurush, I do need that much time. To create Panchawati, to create Ayodhya, to create Lanka, we need time to render the visuals. Also, the film is in 3D and that also takes time.