Kriti Sanon Reflects on Adipurush Failure: ‘You Feel a Deep Sadness and Might Even Find Yourself in Tears’

Kriti Sanon has opened up about one of the most difficult chapters of her film career: the reception and box office performance of Om Raut’s Adipurush.

Released in 2023 with Prabhas, Kriti Sanon and Saif Ali Khan in prominent roles, the film arrived in theatres amid enormous expectations. It was positioned as a large-scale mythological spectacle and generated considerable attention well before its release.

However, the film faced strong criticism after reaching audiences. Questions were raised over its visual effects, dialogue, characterisation and overall treatment of the source material. The response eventually overshadowed much of the pre-release excitement surrounding the project.

Sanon, who portrayed Goddess Sita, has previously spoken about the pressures surrounding the film. In an interview with Filmfare, she described its failure as deeply disheartening and explained how she processed the disappointment.

Kriti Sanon Says Adipurush Failure Was ‘Disheartening’

Reflecting on the experience, Sanon acknowledged that the failure of a film can be particularly painful when an entire team has invested significant effort in it.

She said:

“You feel a deep sadness and might even find yourself in tears, wondering what went wrong. The goal is never to hurt anyone’s feelings; the intention behind every project is always positive.”

Her comments offer a glimpse into the emotional impact that a poorly received film can have on actors and filmmakers.

A movie is the result of contributions from hundreds of people working across acting, direction, cinematography, production design, visual effects, editing, music and numerous other departments.

When the final product does not connect with audiences, the disappointment can therefore extend well beyond its headline stars.

For Sanon, the experience appears to have been particularly difficult because of the scale of the project and the expectations attached to it.

A Film That Arrived With Massive Expectations

Adipurush was not an ordinary release.

The film brought together Prabhas, one of India’s biggest stars, with Sanon and Saif Ali Khan under the direction of Om Raut, who had previously made the critically acclaimed Tanhaji.

Its subject matter also generated enormous interest.

Inspired by the Ramayana, the film attempted to bring a familiar epic to the screen through a contemporary visual-effects-driven approach.

The scale of the production, the cast and the mythology behind the story contributed to substantial anticipation.

That anticipation also meant that audience expectations were exceptionally high.

Once the film was released, however, the response was sharply divided and significant criticism emerged online.

Why Did Adipurush Face Backlash?

Much of the criticism focused on the film’s visual effects and dialogue.

Viewers questioned the quality and execution of several computer-generated sequences, particularly in comparison with the expectations created by the film’s large production scale.

The treatment of certain characters also became controversial.

The dialogue written for Lord Hanuman’s character attracted particularly strong criticism, with many viewers arguing that some lines did not fit the reverence associated with the character.

The film subsequently became the subject of an intense public debate about how religious and mythological stories should be adapted for contemporary cinema.

The controversy was not limited to technical filmmaking concerns. It also involved questions about cultural sensitivity and the responsibilities of filmmakers when interpreting revered stories.

Kriti Says Some Things Are Beyond an Actor’s Control

Sanon also acknowledged an important reality of filmmaking: an actor’s contribution is only one component of a much larger creative process.

She explained that many variables involved in a film’s eventual outcome are outside an actor’s control.

An actor can prepare extensively, perform a role sincerely and give a project their full commitment, but cannot independently determine how a screenplay, direction, editing, visual effects, marketing campaign or final presentation will be received.

Sanon’s approach, therefore, is to concentrate on the aspects of filmmaking that she can control.

She said that the best response as an actor is to stay focused, continue putting in the effort and move forward to the next project.

That perspective has become an important part of how she describes professional setbacks.

‘It’s Crucial to Learn From These Experiences’

Rather than treating the film’s failure solely as a source of disappointment, Sanon said that such experiences can also provide lessons.

She acknowledged that sometimes a project simply does not connect with audiences.

That can happen despite the intentions of the people involved.

Her comments reflect a pragmatic approach to a profession in which success depends on numerous unpredictable factors.

A film can have a major star, a substantial budget and an established director and still fail to meet audience expectations.

Conversely, smaller productions can sometimes outperform expectations because they establish a stronger emotional connection with viewers.

For actors, learning to navigate both outcomes is part of maintaining a sustainable career.

How Kriti Sanon Deals With Trolls and Criticism

The Mimi actor also spoke about another unavoidable part of modern celebrity life: online criticism.

Social media has transformed the relationship between actors and audiences. Performances, interviews, appearances and films can generate immediate reactions, ranging from detailed criticism to personal attacks.

Sanon said she tries to distinguish between constructive feedback and simple trolling.

When criticism is meaningful and offers a genuine observation about her performance, she said she is willing to consider it.

However, she does not allow comments that are merely negative or intended to provoke her to affect her personally.

That distinction is increasingly important for actors working in an environment where online reactions can become overwhelming.

Constructive Criticism Can Help an Actor Grow

Sanon’s comments suggest that she does not view all criticism as something to be rejected.

Instead, she separates criticism according to its substance.

If someone identifies a genuine issue with her performance and explains why they believe it did not work, she takes that feedback seriously.

For an actor, such responses can be useful because they offer an external perspective on choices made during a performance.

Constructive criticism can reveal aspects of a characterisation, dialogue delivery or emotional performance that an actor may want to examine in future projects.

The distinction is between feedback designed to improve the work and comments designed primarily to attack the individual.

Adipurush Became a Major Learning Experience

For Sanon, Adipurush appears to have become one of those professional experiences from which she had to move forward.

Playing Sita in a project based on the Ramayana came with its own set of expectations.

The character has enormous cultural and religious significance, meaning the portrayal was always likely to receive intense scrutiny.

The film’s reception consequently placed its actors under an unusually high level of public attention.

Sanon’s comments suggest that she recognises the disappointment while refusing to allow the experience to define her entire career.

That approach is particularly relevant in an industry where an actor’s next project can substantially change the public narrative around them.

The Film’s Reception Was Not the End of Sanon’s Career

Despite the difficulties surrounding Adipurush, Sanon’s career continued to move forward.

Her performance in Mimi had already established her as an actor capable of taking on demanding dramatic material, and the film earned her significant recognition.

She subsequently appeared in projects across different genres, demonstrating an effort to avoid being defined by a single release.

This is one reason her comments about Adipurush are significant.

A major box office disappointment can affect an actor’s public image temporarily, but careers are rarely determined by one film alone.

Consistency, role selection and the ability to respond to setbacks can ultimately have a greater impact.

The Pressure of Playing Sita

Sanon’s portrayal of Sita was one of the most closely watched aspects of Adipurush.

Playing a figure associated with one of India’s most widely known epics carries a particular responsibility.

Audiences bring established cultural images and interpretations to such characters, making any cinematic adaptation subject to comparison.

Sanon’s performance was therefore being evaluated not only as acting but also within the context of a much larger cultural conversation.

That environment can make criticism especially intense.

Her decision to discuss the film’s failure honestly also shows an awareness of the emotional complexity involved in taking on such a role.

What Sanon’s Response Says About Professional Resilience

The most notable element of Sanon’s comments is perhaps not her description of the disappointment but what she says should happen afterwards.

Her advice to herself is essentially straightforward: acknowledge the setback, learn from it and continue working.

That approach is particularly relevant to actors because no performer can control the complete trajectory of a film.

A project can change significantly during production and post-production. Audience expectations can shift. Reviews can influence public perception. Word of mouth can alter box office performance within days.

The actor can control preparation and performance—but not every variable surrounding the finished film.

Sanon’s comments recognise that distinction.

Adipurush and the Difficulty of Adapting Mythology

The controversy surrounding Adipurush also highlights the challenges involved in adapting mythology for contemporary cinema.

Filmmakers attempting such projects must balance several competing considerations.

They need to create a visually compelling cinematic experience while remaining conscious of the source material’s cultural significance.

They must also decide how much creative liberty to take with dialogue, characterisation, costumes, visual design and narrative structure.

A creative choice that works in a conventional fictional film can generate a very different reaction when applied to a revered mythological figure.

The response to Adipurush demonstrated the sensitivity of that balance.

The Film’s Legacy Remains Complicated

For some viewers, Adipurush remains primarily remembered as a high-profile production that failed to meet expectations.

For others, the film represents an ambitious attempt to reinterpret the Ramayana through contemporary filmmaking technology.

Regardless of individual opinion, the film generated substantial discussion about visual effects, mythological adaptations, dialogue writing and the expectations placed on large-scale Indian cinema.

Sanon’s comments add another perspective: the experience of an actor who was part of the project but did not control every creative decision.

Why Kriti Sanon’s Comments Matter

Celebrity interviews often focus on success stories, but discussions about professional failure can provide a different kind of insight.

Sanon’s willingness to acknowledge that she felt emotional about Adipurush‘s reception makes her account more relatable.

Actors are often expected to project confidence regardless of how a film performs.

Yet a disappointing release can be personally painful, particularly when an actor has invested considerable time and effort into a role.

Sanon’s statement that one can feel deeply saddened, even to the point of tears, while ultimately choosing to move forward reflects that reality.

The Lesson She Took From Adipurush

Sanon’s response does not attempt to rewrite the film’s reception.

Instead, she accepts that the project did not connect with audiences in the way its makers had hoped.

Her emphasis is on learning rather than assigning blame.

That approach is notable because public discussions surrounding failed films often focus on identifying a single person responsible.

In reality, filmmaking is collaborative, and the final result emerges from dozens of creative and technical decisions.

Sanon’s comments recognise that complexity while focusing on her own responsibilities as an actor.

From Setback to the Next Project

The entertainment industry moves quickly.

A film that dominates headlines one year can become a footnote once an actor’s next project arrives.

Sanon’s career illustrates that reality.

Rather than allowing Adipurush to become the defining narrative around her work, she continued taking on new roles and projects.

Her response also reflects a broader philosophy: an actor’s career is a collection of performances, not a verdict delivered by one film.

That mindset can help performers deal with both the highs and lows of a highly unpredictable industry.

Kriti Sanon’s Approach to Failure

Ultimately, Sanon’s comments about Adipurush are less about defending the film and more about explaining how she personally dealt with its failure.

She acknowledged the sadness.

She recognised that some aspects of a film are beyond an actor’s control.

She remained open to genuine criticism.

And she chose to focus on future work rather than remain consumed by the disappointment.

For an actor working in an industry where expectations can change overnight, that may be one of the most practical ways to handle a difficult release.