Allahabad High Court reprimands Adipurush makers over dialogues, Manoj Muntashir served notice

The troubles for the film Adipurush and its makers continue to mount, as not only the audience but now a court of law has stepped in to address the ongoing controversy. The Allahabad High Court ofthe Indian state of Uttar Pradeshhas reprimanded the makers of the film for its dialogues that have been the reason for such outrage around the country. The court has directed co-writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla to be included as a party in the case and issued a notice, requiring him to respond within a week. During the hearing of a petition seeking a ban on Adipurush, which claims to be a mythological action film based on the Hindu epic Ramayana, the court expressed concern about the nature of the film.

"The nature of dialogues in the film is a big issue. Ramayana is a paragon for us. People read Ramcharitmanas before leaving home," the court said as per NDTV.

Considering the matter as a serious issue, the court questioned the actions taken by the censor board. Although the objectionable dialogues were reportedly removed from the film, the court demanded clarity on the board's actions regarding the film's content and scenes. The court asserted that removal alone would not suffice and sought further instructions, indicating the possibility of halting the film's exhibition to provide relief to those whose sentiments were hurt.

The court also acknowledged media reports of people going to theaters and attempting to shut down the film but expressed gratitude that no acts of vandalism took place.

What is Adipurush all about?

Simply put, Adipurush is a cinematic retelling of the Hindu epic Ramayana, believed to have been written by sage Valmiki. Directed and co-written (with Manoj Muntashir) by Om Raut, it features a star-studded cast including Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon, Sunny Singh, and Devdatta Nage. It was shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu.

Why is Adipurush surrounded by controversy?

The release of the film has ignited intense debates and public outrage, primarily due to certain dialogues that have been deemed indecent and objectionable. Particularly, the dialogues attributed to the character Hanuman in the Lanka dahan sequence have sparked controversy, leading to discussions on their appropriateness within the film.

Writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla, however, came forward to defend the film, suggesting that the inclusion of these dialogues was intentional and intended to create a diversion or division among multiple characters. He further argued that similar dialogues had been used by renowned saints and storytellers in India, saying that he was not the first to write such lines as they were "already there". Shukla clarified that Adipurush drew inspiration from the Ramayana but was not a direct adaptation of the epic.

His clarification, though, seemed to have made things worse, as the controversy does not seem to die down.

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