Any film analyst worth their salt will tell you that it is impossible to predict what makes a film work. Some argue it's the stars, others swear by the importance of the story, while others still claim it's the presentation. Maybe it's a combination of all of it.
Otherwise, how does one explain two films with the same story and characters receiving such differing receptions? One is considered a cult classic with the highest rating for any Indian film, while the other has been called one of the worst Bollywood films ever made and was a box office bomb. ( Also read: Singham Again writer reacts to charges that film 'encashes' Ramayana as Diwali marketing strategy ) The two films with one story The epic Ramayana has lent itself to several films in India over the years. Besides Ramanand Sagar's iconic show, over three dozen films have been made on the epic in various languages.
Of them, the highest-rated is not even live-action or fully made in India. The film is Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama , a joint Indo-Japanese anime made in 1992. The film, made in both English and Hindi, has a staggering IMDb rating of 9.
2 out of 10, the highest for any Indian film. On the other hand, the nadir of Ramayana adaptations in India came three decades later when Om Raut made Adipurush. Billed as the most expensive Indian film ever made (with a reported budget of ₹ 55 crore), Adipurush saw a tsunami of negative reviews from both fans and critics.
This tanked its box office chances. Accordin.
