Hrithik Roshan as Ram, Deepika Padukone as Sita: ChatGPT suggests alternate cast for Adipurush; see full list here

Adipurush, the new epic film from Om Raut, will release this June. Regarded as one of the most expensive Indian films ever, the film is based on the Hindu epic Ramayan. On Akshaya Tritiya, the makers of the film released a new motion poster showcasing Prabhas’ look as Raghava, based on Lord Ram. The film also stars Kriti Sanon as Janaki, and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh, based on Sita and Ravana respectively.

The castong choices have been both praised and criticised so far. But many fans have wondered what the film could have looked like if these iconic roles were played by other actors. ChatGPT, the AI chat bot has some suggestions how Adipurush with an alternate cast would look like.

Hrithik Roshan or Akshay Kumar for Lord Ram

ChatGPT suggested Hrithik Roshan and Akshay Kumar as top contenders to play Ram. Calling Hrithik ‘versatile’, the chatbot wrote ‘he has the charisma and the regal bearing to play the role of Ram’. Similarly, for Akshay, the recommendation said that ‘he has a strong screen presence’.

Deepika Padukone or Keerthy Suresh as Sita

ChatGPT suggested Deepika Padukone or Keerthy Suresh as options to play Sita, noting that the choice was ‘based on their acting skills, physical appearance, star power, and previous roles’. The recommendation read: “Both Deepika Padukone and Keerthy Suresh have a graceful and elegant appearance that would be well-suited for the role of Sita.”

Ajay Devgn as Ravana

Saif Ali Khan plays Lankesh in Adipurush but ChatGPT believes that his Tanhaji co-star Ajay Devgn would be the perfect choice for the role. Explaining its reasoning, the chatbot says, “Ajay Devgn's acting prowess, commanding screen presence, and experience in playing complex and negative characters, coupled with his successful collaboration with the director in the past, make him a good choice to play the role of Ravana.”

Manoj Bajpayee as Hanuman

Devdatta Nage plays Lord Hanuman in Adipurush but ChatGPT suggests that Manoj Bajpayee would play the role very well. Noting that he ‘has played a variety of roles’ and his versatility, the chatbot says that ‘he would be perfect for the role of Hanuman’.

Vicky Kaushal as Lakshman

The role of Lakshman is being played by Sunny Singh in the Om Raut film but as per ChatGPT, one actor who has the ‘the intensity and the acting chops to pull off the role’ is Vicky Kaushal.

Other supporting roles

For other supporting roles, ChatGPT suggests Jackie Shroff as Dashratha, noting that he has the ‘the regal bearing and the acting chops’ for the role, Atul Kulkarni as Vibhishana, writing that ‘he would be perfect’ for the role, and Sonu Sood as Kumbhkarna, saying that he has the physique for the role. “These are just some options, and the final choice will depend on the director's vision and the producer's decisions,” notes the chatbot while concluding its recommendations.

Adipurush, directed by Om Raut and produced by T-Series and Retrophile Films, is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in the US on June 13. Three days later, it will be releasing in theatres in India. With a reported budget of Rs 550 crore, it is the second-most expensive Indian film ever made.