Allahabad High Court slams Adipurush makers; asks, “If we are tolerant, then will that also be tested?”

Adipurush, starring Prabhas and Kriti Sanon, has been in the headlines ever since it was released on the big screens.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

June 27, 2023 - 10:05 PM IST

In a shocking turn of events, director Om Raut and writer Manoj Muntashir have received death threats from the Kshatriya Karni Sena. These threats come amidst an ongoing row surrounding the dialogues of the recently released pan-India film Adipurush. Meanwhile, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has strongly criticized both the censor board and the makers of the film.

Allahabad High Court slams Adipurush makers; asks, “If we are tolerant, then will that also be tested?”

The Allahabad High Court's criticism came during a hearing on a plea filed against certain contentious dialogues featured in Adipurush. “The nature of dialogues in the film is a big issue. Ramayana is a paragon for us. People read Ramcharitmanas before leaving home,” said the court.

The bench further added, “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 court stated, “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 nothing. 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.”

While calling it a “very serious matter,” the Allahabad High Court questioned the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC). During a hearing, the Deputy Solicitor General informed the court that the controversial dialogues had been removed. In response, the court questioned the Deputy SG about the actions and effectiveness of the CBFC in overseeing such matters.

The court asserted, “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 film is stopped, then the people whose feelings have been hurt, will get relief.”

The court responded critically to the argument presented by the respondents regarding the addition of a disclaimer in the film. The bench questioned whether those responsible for the disclaimer considered the people and youth of the country to be devoid of intelligence.

“We saw it on the news that people went to the theatres and got the film shut down. Be thankful nobody vandalised it,” concluded the court. The court has also directed co-writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla to be made a party in the case and issued a notice directing him to respond within a week. The hearing will continue tomorrow.

Also Read: Moti Sagar, son of Ramayan TV show maker Ramanand Sagar, speaks about Adipurush, “Papaji could have made a feature on it with top stars”