It’s been three days since Adipurush released and the film has received a mixed bag of responses thus far. But, more than the story and how the makers would reimagine the Ramayana, it’s Prabhas’ portrayal of Raghav (Lord Ram) that was the talking point ever since the project was announced.

Ask if he had any apprehensions before giving his nod to playing this part and the actor says, “There were apprehensions, but no reservations. Portraying such a revered figure comes with a great responsibility, considering the emotional and spiritual attachment people have towards Lord Ram.”

In an interview earlier, Prabhas had expressed that if he made a mistake with Baahubali, it would’ve been fine, but he can’t take that chance with Adipurush.

Prod why and he tells us, “This film revolves around the Ramayana, which is deeply rooted in Indian culture and religion. Hence, my approach was to portray this part with utmost authenticity and respect.”

The actor also credits director Om Raut, for it his “unwavering support and guidance” that gave Prabhas confidence. “I’m grateful to the makers for having faith in me and believing that I could bring this celebrated character to life. A lot of preparation and hard work, not just from my end, but the entire team, went behind playing this role. Also, Om’s clear vision would feed our imagination so well.”

Given that Prabhas enjoyed unmatched fandom following the success of Baahubali, his fans were seemingly disappointed when his last two outings — Saaho (2019) and Radhe Shyam (2022) — failed to meet expectations. Here, the actor points out that more than the hero persona, it’s the “character or content” that matters.

“A film’s business at the box office has many factors. But, as an actor, I focus more on delivering my best performance. Hero persona or not, I want to bring my best to the table every time I do a role. As an actor, my job is to make the audience resonate with a character, to make them feel that there is something in common,” he concludes.