Prabhas performs Ravana Dahan at Delhi Ramlila; supporters describe him the spitting image of Lord Ram

Prabhas was in Delhi on Wednesday to perform the Ravana Dahan at the world’s largest annual Ramlila, held on the grounds of the Red Fort. On Dussehra each year, the Luv Kush Ramlila invites a dignitary to conduct the Ravana Dahan, and this year, Prabhas was given the privilege. In his forthcoming film Adipurush, which is based on the Ramayana epic, the actor plays Lord Ram. Fans responded to photographs and videos of the actor during the occasion by referring to him as “the spitting image of Lord Ram.”

On the evening of Dussehra, Prabhas graced the stage alongside Adipurush director Om Raut and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the Luv Kush Ramlila. In photographs and videos of the occasion, Prabhas can be seen strolling onstage while clutching Om Raut’s hand and waving to the audience. After being honored by the event’s organisers, the actor raised a Gada (mace) to thunderous applause from the crowd. Aside from Delhi Police officials, three units of paramilitary forces and 140 bouncers were stationed at the event for security and crowd management, according to the event’s organizers.

At approximately 7 p.m., Prabhas drew his bow and arrow and fired the ceremonial shot to mark the beginning of the Ravana Dahan, the concluding act of the Ramlila performed on Dussehra. Fans of the celebrities posted pictures and videos of the event widely. A fan wrote, “Doesn’t he resemble Lord Ram to a T? Excellent casting.” Another tweet stated, “This image alone explains why Om Raut was so determined to cast Prabhas as Raghava in Adipurush.

Ram, Sita, and Ravana are portrayed by Prabhas as Raghava, Kriti Sanon as Janaki, and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh, respectively, in Adipurush, which is inspired by the Ramayana. The teaser for the film was released on Sunday morning to harsh criticism for its ‘amateurish’ visual effects. Many people criticized the preview for being “animated” and compared it unfavorably to the recent blockbuster Brahmastra as well as other movie adaptations of the Ramayana. Wednesday, the teaser was also shown to the audience at the Ramlila.

Recently, during a special 3D screening of the teaser, Om Raut responded to the teaser’s harsh critiques. According to Indian Express, he remarked, “I was disheartened, but not unexpected because the picture is designed for a wider medium—the big screen. You can reduce it to some extent, but you cannot reduce it to the size of a mobile phone. This is a setting I cannot manage. If I had the option, I would never upload it to YouTube, but that is the necessity of the hour. We must place it there so that it can reach a large audience.”

The IMAX and 3D versions of Adipurush will be released on January 12, 2023. The mythological drama, which was produced by Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar of T-series, Raut, Prasad Sutar, and Rajesh Nair of Retrophiles, will be released in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada.

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