Aashiesh Sharrma played Lord Ram in the TV show Siya Ke Ram. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actor who did not mince his words and expressed his utmost displeasure at how the makers of Adipurush starring Prabhas as Lord Ram, faltered in their depiction of the mythological epic.
Talking about the collective frustration felt by audiences who had pinned high hopes with the film, he opines, “I don't feel sorry for anyone who has made the film but for us as a country. If we are not able to portray Lord Ram, the way he is and the way he is supposed to be, then indeed it’s a sorry state of affairs.”
Watch the exclusive video of the chat below:
He adds, “It’s also because our filmmakers have never studied or researched in-depth about these stories. They are just vanity projects for them. There is more focus towards mounting a big project, casting a popular star and adding style and glamour, with nothing reserved for the story. We, as an audience, also buy it because we’ve never been taught our ancient texts well enough. So, when projects like these are made that lack sincerity and conviction, we either accept them or boycott them. But, nobody talks about correcting the course. It’s partially our fault too that we are accepting mediocrity.”
Aashiesh opines that research plays an important role in empowering the maker’s vision and Adipurush lacked it in totality. “There was absolutely no research put into the film. Even if you’re presenting a three-hour feature, there has to be a certain amount of research put into the film. For Siya Ke Ram, we had researchers and writers working on the script for two and a half years. The casting also took about a year and a half to fall in place. I had to wait for six months to play Lord Ram. If the intent is wrong, then it will show on-screen. You can falter with your script but not with the emotions,” Aashiesh explains.
Aashiesh as Lord Ram in Siya Ke Ram
The team of Adipurush seem to be turning a blind eye to all the criticism. “If you've made a mistake, accept it gracefully and apologise. It won't make you small or insignificant. People are forgiving. If you offer baseless explanations to defend yourself and hide your mistakes, it only puts you in a bad light. The term 'creative liberties' is mostly an excuse when you haven't worked hard enough on your story,” he avers.
Aashiesh concludes, “If you say that we are catering to the new generation through our dialogues, it's not acceptable. When 'Siya Ke Ram' was made in 2015-2016, the language was maintained as it was spoken in those times and yet audiences connected with it.”
