In the film industry, such comparisons are done in order to create scale, ambition, or inspiration. But when director Shankar recently compared his forthcoming magnum opus Velpari to international blockbusters Game of Thrones and Avatar, the internet was not amused. Shankar had called Velpari “India’s answer to Game of Thrones meets Avatar” in a recent interview, and that drew instant social media outrage. While the comment was intended to address the scale and visual grandeur of the film, netizens understood it as something too grandiose and removed from cultural reality.
Shankar’s Velpari vs Game of Thrones: A Cultural Mismatch?
Game of Thrones fans were quick to catch on to the cultural difference between Westeros and the Indian epic story of Velpari. Shankar’s nod was intended to evoke the grandeur, high-stakes politics, and complex character developments Velpari assures. Twitter erupted with comments like, “Don’t spoil Velpari by attempting to turn it into a Westeros copy,” and “We have our legends, why all this Western comparison?”
The comparison also provoked angst among fans of Tamil literature who regard Velpari a legendary Sangam-era chieftain, a dearly beloved cultural icon. The majority argue that the comparison renders the Indian epic’s uniqueness to that of a simple high-budget spectacle, ignoring the emotional and historical depth of the original tale. Shankar, having staked his visual reputation with Enthiran and I, might have chewed more than the country can swallow in the sense of employing Indian narratives in order to match the Western fantasy standards.
Avatar Inspiration for Velpari: Artistic Vision or Unrealistic Expectation?
When Shankar said Velpari pictorially keeping up with James Cameron’s Avatar, particularly its CGI and world-building, the majority of fans wailed in chorus as “PR over substance.” Whereas Avatar was universally acclaimed worldwide for being a technological pioneer and environmental allegory, Indian moviegoers believe that Velpari, based on Tamilian mythology and history, should be able to keep its own artistic merit instead of copying Hollywood’s concept of alien world.
Despite all these criticisms, some fans rushed to Shankar’s defense, understanding his remark as an idealization rather than a comparison. Shankar has been idolized for pushing boundaries in Indian cinema, after all. But the growing sentiment online seems to urge filmmakers to embrace cultural specificity over global mimicry. The task thus becomes to combine technological elegance with story derived from Indian ethos.
Whether Velpari does justice to the expectations created by its sweeping comparisons is yet to be seen, but this much is certain: the audience is watching with keen eyes and still keener judgments.
A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
