Om Raut’s mega-budget movie Adipurush was released yesterday. The movie is based on Ramayan and the makers had spent a massive amount on PR, promising a magnificent retelling of the Hindu epic. However, though the movie saw full theatres on the day of release, many people have expressed shock and displeasure over the dark themes, cheap-looking VFX, and ‘inappropriate’ dialogues unfit for religious characters.
The Lanka Dahan scene apparently has Hanuman saying to one of Ravan’s sons, “Kapda tere baap ka, tel tere baap ka, aag tere baap ki, aur jalegi bhi tere baap ki”. (The clothes, oil, and fire all belong to your father, it is him who will get burned).
Some other dialogues that have the audience react in disgust are:
- “Teri bua ka bageecha nahi hai jo hawa khane chala aya”
- “Mere ek sapole ne tere Sheshnaag ko lamba kar diya”
- “Marega bete”
- “Apne bandaron ko lekar nikal ja”
The lowbrow style and the coarse language of the dialogues are fit for a movie depicting street goons and prison gangs, not an epic that is one of the main religious scriptures for over a billion Hindus all over the world.
Social media users are surprised that Manoj Muntashir, who wrote the heart-touching lyrics in the superhit songs ‘Teri Mitti’, ‘Galliyan’, and ‘Kaun Tujhe’, etc would be so off the mark in the dialogues of Adipurush.
Manoj Muntashir justifies the dialogues
Following the widespread condemnation and social media criticism, Muntashir has spoken to the media and has tried to justify the dialogues. As per reports, the popular poet and lyricist has stated that he wrote the dialogues keeping the ‘modern, contemporary’ speaking styles of the general public in the country.
He has also stated that all the characters in a story cannot be speaking the same kind of language and that is why he has tried to give different speaking styles for Ram and Hanuman.
"हमने जानबूझकर ऐसा ही रखा है, जिससे आजकल के लोग उससे कनेक्ट हो सकें, आम बोलचाल की भाषा में यह बात रखी है"
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) June 17, 2023
◆ आदिपुरुष में हनुमान के विवादित डायलॉग पर मनोज मुंतशिर ने कहा
Adipurush | #Adipurush | Manoj Muntashir | #ManojMuntashir pic.twitter.com/CKCh67h5Eg
Muntashir said that the dialogues are not a mistake, but have been written with much thought and after meticulous deliberating. He even claimed that “Kapda tere baap ka, tel tere baap ka” etc is how many popular Kathavaachaks in India tell Ramayan stories. He added that they never wanted to ‘Sanskritise’ Adipurush and the dialogues are kept that way so people can relate to them.
Manoj Muntashir admits he knowingly and intentionally wrote such Tapori-type blasphemous dialogues for Adipurush.
— BALA (@erbmjha) June 17, 2023
He should have apologised to Hindus for hurting their sentiments instead of defending himself shamelessly. pic.twitter.com/TkFf0QLrAm
It is notable here that in all the narrations and depictions of the Ramayana done so far, nowhere it is shown that Ram and Hanuman are on different levels of linguistic sophistication. In fact, Lord Hanuman is addressed as “Gyan gun sagar”, the ocean of knowledge and good qualities.
As per Hindu beliefs, Hanuman is the son of Vaayu Devta, the Lord of the wind, and a manifestation of Lord Shiva. He is one of the Chiranjeevis (immortals), he was blessed with knowledge and unfathomable power by Surya Deva himself and is a disciple of Rishi Matang too. Hanuman learned all the Vedas, Yoga, and arts from childhood and was blessed by all the Gods with unmatched wisdom, valor, and power.
In fact, in Valmiki Ramayana, there are instances where Lord Ram praises the extent of Hanuman’s knowledge and his way of speaking.
No one knows how did Manoj Muntashir conclude that ‘Gyan gun sagar’ Hanuman’s communication style would be the same as that of a local TikTokiya.
Manoj Muntashir had declared that he is fortunate to be writing Ramayana for this age
Amid the criticisms over the loutish, uncivilized language uttered by Ramayana characters, an old tweet of Manoj Muntashir is going viral where he claimed that he is fortunate to be writing the Ramayana in our times.
However, Muntashir’s attempt to justify the boorish, tacky dialogues he has added in Adipurush are in contrast to previous statements and declarations by the movie makers, that Adipurush is a sincere attempt to retell the Ramayana.
Cringe-level dialogues and ‘cheap VFX’ disappoint viewers of Adipurush
Adipurush has received disappointing reviews from movie critics and audiences alike. Many have pointed out that not only do the costumes, and appearances of the main characters seem odd and unpleasant, but the movie itself comes across as a mockery of a widely popular and revered epic that is worshipped in every Hindu household all over the world.
One Twitter user commented that the one scene of Ram Charan appearing as the bow and arrow-wielding Ram in RRR was more powerful than the entire Adipurush movie.
This single scene from RRR gave me more goosebumps pic.twitter.com/9pPo26ziXt
— Rohitswarrior (@Rohitswarrior1) June 16, 2023
Many also reminisced about the legendary portrayal of Ravana by NT Rama Rao, the way he depicted the most defining characteristic that made him the demon he was: Arrogance.
Ravana was arrogant. Arrogant that he was learned, arrogant that he had the boon of Brahma and blessings of Shiva, arrogant that he ruled over an impenetrable Lanka.
— Dr Kiran Kumar Karlapu (@scarysouthpaw) October 3, 2022
You can see that arrogance personified in NT Rama Rao.
Ravana was certainly not a maniac like Saif portrays him. pic.twitter.com/nqwiv9hA4F
Apart from the cringe dialogues, people are also giving a thumbs down to the ‘cheap VFX’ and the blatant attempts to copy Hollywood scenes.
Some users have commented that the scene of Ravana kidnapping Seeta is almost the same as Disney’s Maleficient, the Vanar Sena fighting scenes have a strong resemblance to King Kong scenes, and even the ‘revival’ of Lakshman using Sanjeevani has been done as the scene where Lady Mellisandre revives Jon Snow in Game Of Thrones.
