On Monday, June 26, the Allahabad High Court came down heavily on the makers of the movie Adipurush, who have already been drawing harsh criticism from all quarters for its boorish dialogues and blatant mockery of Ramayana, the sacred Hindu epic cherished by billions worldwide.
The court was hearing two Public Interest Litigation (PIL) pleas filed against the exhibition and dialogue
of Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan and Kirti Sanon starrer movie. The PILs were filed by Social Activists Kuldeep Tiwari and Bandana Kumar through advocates Ranjana Agnihotri and Sudha Sharma.
Slamming the makers of the movie for portraying the characters of Hindu God and Goddess including Lord Rama, Lord Hanuman and Mata Sita in an objectionable manner, the Allahabad Court observed, why the tolerance level of Hindus was being put to the test by them.
“Agar hum log ispar bhi aankh band kar len kyonki yeh kaha jaata hai ki yeh dharm ke log bade sahishnu (tolerant) hain to kya uska test liya jayega? (If we close our eyes on this issue too, because it is said that the people of this religion are very tolerant, will it be put to test as well?),” the bench remarked.
Bench: Agar hum log ispar bhi aankh band kar len kyonki yeh kaha jaata hai ki yeh dharm ke log bade sahishnu (Tolerant) hain to kya uska test liya jayega?
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) June 27, 2023
This is not a propaganda petition. #Adipurush #AdipurushRow #AllahabadHighCourt
Slamming the makers of Adipurush for making a mockery of the religious sentiments of Hindus through the dialogues and loose depiction of Hindu deities and the scripture, the court said that they should thank heavens that the movie is about a religion whose people did not create law and order situation.
The bench comprising Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Shree Prakash Singh orally remarked, “The one who is gentle should be suppressed? Is it so? It is good that it is about religion, the believers of which did not create any law and order problem. We should be thankful. We saw in the news that some people had gone to cinema halls (wherein the movie was being exhibited) and they only forced them to close the hall, they could have done something else as well.”
Bench: Jo seedha hai use dabaiye, aisa hai kya? Wo to shukra hai ki logon ne koi law and order situation nahin create hui. Humne news mein dekha ki kuch log cinema hall gaye aur sirf band karwa kar chale aaye, wo kuch aur bhi kar sakte the.#Adipurush #AllahabadHighCourt
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) June 27, 2023
When the counsel appearing for the makers of the movie, informed the court that a disclaimer had been added to the film, the bench got further infuriated and said, “Kya yeh disclaimer dene wale country ko, youth ko bewakoof samajhte hain? Picture agar ruk jayegi to jinki feelings hurt hui hain unhe rahat milegi. Aap wahi Lord Rama, Lord Laxman, Lord Hanuman, wahi Ravana, wahi Lanka dikhaiye aur kahiye ki yeh Ramayana nahin?” (Do the people who put the disclaimer consider the countrymen, and youth to be brainless? You show Lord Rama, Lord Laxman, Lord Hanuman, Ravana, Lanka and then say it is not Ramayan).
Bench: Kya yeh disclaimer dene wale country ko, youth ko bewakoof samajhte hain?
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) June 27, 2023
Picture agar ruk jayegi to jinki feelings hurt hui hain unhe rahat milegi.
Aap wahi Lord Rama, Lord Laxman, Lord Hanuman, wahi Ravana, wahi Lanka dikhaiye aur kahiye ki yeh Ramayana nahin?
Further, when the Deputy Solicitor General of India informed the bench that certain objectionable dialogues of the movie have been changed, the bench responded by saying, “That alone won’t work. What will you do with the scenes? Seek instructions, then we will definitely do whatever we want to do…In case the exhibition of the movie is stopped, then the people whose feelings have been hurt, will get relief.”
Continuing to lambast Adipurush makers for insulting the Hindu epic which is revered by millions of people worldwide, the court added, “Here the issue is the nature of the dialogue in the film. Ramayana is a paragon for us. People read Ramcharitmanas before leaving home,” it said, adding that films shouldn’t touch certain things.”
Bench: Yahan yeh issue hai ki jis tarah se movie ko banaya hai, kuch granth hain jo misaal hain, poojaniya hai. Ramcharitmanas ko log padh kar ghar se nikalte hain.
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) June 27, 2023
Kuch cheezon ko nahin touch karna chahiye. #Adipurush #AdipurushRow
Besides slamming the movie makers the Allahabad High Court also tore into the censor board for not fulfilling its responsibility properly.
“It’s good that people did not harm the law and order situation after watching the film. Lord Hanuman and Sita have been shown like they are some insignificant characters. These things should have been removed from the very beginning. Some scenes seem to be of “A” (adult) category. It’s very difficult to watch such films,” the court observed.
Terming it a “very serious matter”, it questioned what the censor board did about it.
Bench: Yeh cheezen to at its inception ruk jaani chahiye. Pics jo attach ki gayi hain (in the petition) wo A category se bhi buri cheezen.
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) June 27, 2023
Lastly, the Court accepted the move to include Manoj Muntashir Shukla, who wrote the film’s dialogue, as a party respondent in the PIL plea and ordered that notice be sent to him.
Notably, Manoj Muntashir Shukla, who wrote the dialogue for the movie, was requested to be included as a party respondent in the PIL case in a petition for amendment that was filed last week. The amendment petition also criticised Shukla’s dialogues, calling them “ridiculous,” “filthy,” and “against the glory of Ramayan yug.”
Hearing in the case will continue tomorrow.
