The film “Adipurush”, a grand retelling of the Ramayana, has sparked protests in various cities across India and has been banned in Nepal. Despite the controversies surrounding it, the film has managed to earn a staggering `340 crore within just three days of its release.
The protests against “Adipurush” gained momentum on Monday in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Delhi, as audiences took to the streets to express their objections.
The film directed by Om Raut faced criticism for its dialogue, colloquial language, and portrayal of certain characters from the beloved epic.
Addressing the growing controversy, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur announced that the film’s writer and director have agreed to make necessary modifications.
He emphasised that nobody has the right to hurt the sentiments of others and that the Central Board of Film Certification has already taken a decision on the matter.
“Adipurush”, released in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Tamil languages on Friday, stars Prabhas as Raghav (Ram), Kriti Sanon as Janaki (Sita), and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh (Raavan).
The protests against “Adipurush” continued with demonstrations taking place in different parts of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Delhi.
In Varanasi, a group of individuals tore down posters of the film. A Hindu outfit organised a protest outside a theater in Mathura.
The Hindu Mahasabha has filed a police complaint with the Lucknow Police against the makers and actors of the film. However, a formal case has yet to be registered.
Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, called for an immediate ban on the film, stating that its dialogues were infuriating.
He urged the Government to take necessary measures to prevent such incidents from recurring.
In Mathura, activists from the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha staged a protest outside a cinema located in the Govind Nagar police station area. They raised slogans against the film and voiced their opposition to its themes.
Joining the chorus of dissent, the Samajwadi Party criticised ‘Adipurush’ and expressed solidarity with the faithful who felt hurt by what they considered to be “cheap and superficial dialogues” in the film.
Party president Akhilesh Yadav called upon the censor board to scrutinise the “political character certificate” of those who manipulate people’s faith for their own agendas using political funds. He even posed the question, “Has the Censor Board become Dhritarashtra?”, alluding to a blind king from the epic Mahabharata.
Shivpal Yadav, another leader from the Samajwadi Party, alleged that the film aimed to undermine the revered character of Lord Ram and his story by employing dialogues that were deemed shallow and lacking depth.
In Maharashtra’s Palghar district, a group of protesters disrupted the screening of ‘Adipurush’ at a mall in Nalasopara. Identifying themselves as members of the group called Rashtra Pratham, the protesters chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans and called for a boycott of the film, according to a police official.
In Delhi’s Shahdara area, a group of people raised slogans outside a movie theater. However, a senior police official confirmed that the screening continued without any interruption.