Despite call for ban from political leaders, Adipurush rakes in ₹140 cr on first day

Bollywood film Adipurush, a retelling of the Ramayana, has faced controversy from political leaders and critics for not doing justice to the epic.

One of Bollywood’s most expensive productions in recent history, the ₹600 crore-plus Adipurush, has landed into unexpected controversy with leaders like Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel threatening to ban it and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders demanding an apology from the makers.

Adipurush hit the theatres on Friday (Representative Photo)

This is surprising because the film is a retelling of the Ramayana and it is being roundly criticised for not doing justice to the epic. It is not just the film’s poor VFX but also its dialogues which have stirred trouble. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanaka Chaturvedi raised objection to the “pedestrian dialogues written for the movie, especially Lord Hanuman”.

A lesser-known fact is that the film’s director Om Raut is the son of former Shiv Sena MP Bharat Kumar Raut.

In Rewa, CM Bhupesh Baghel said the film was an attempt to “tarnish the image of all our deities” and questioned the “silence” of political parties that “call themselves custodians of religion”.

However, for all the criticism, the film has already made money, raking in a mammoth ₹140 crore globally on the day of its release. Speaking to Hindustan Times from Delhi, the filmmaker brushed aside naysayers, as he said, “I have set out to make an honest film. My intentions are pure and my efforts sincere. I would never trivialise my cinema.”

Om however knew he was walking on coals when he chose to tell his version of the Ramayana and he remembered several of his well-wishers asking him, “Are you sure you want to do this?’

Calling Adipurush his “humble attempt” of saying what he has understood of the epic, he added, “I have made a film for the younger generation, in their language and in their format. And in the last couple of days I have witnessed many youngsters enjoying the film. The kind of eyeballs the film is getting is heartwarming. Of course, it is also accompanied by criticism but then which filmmaker can escape that?”

“The serial Ramayana by Ramanand Sagar which was released many years ago and re-released during the Covid-19 pandemic on Doordarshan was exactly as popular the second time. By saying youngsters will understand this kind of language the filmmaker is also underestimating youth of today,” Chaturvedi told HT. She called the dialogues “fake and opportunistic just as BJP uses Lord Ram for their politics”.

The film which has released in 70 countries across 10,000 screens is on its way to becoming a blockbuster said producer/exhibitor/distributor N R Pachisia. “Why politicise everything?” he asked, underscoring Bollywood is a perennial soft target. He pointed out, “As far as cinema goes—one man’s food is another man’s poison. The Kerala Story, another controversial blockbuster played in most parts of India but states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal banned it.”

A Rajasthan-based distributor felt polarization and politics give films a longer run. “Sometimes it even feels stage-managed,” he said. “Of course, controversy in entertainment should best be avoided, but in this atmosphere of intolerance, there are those who are constantly stoking fires.’’

Trade analyst, Komal Nahta said the anger towards the film was not completely unfounded. “The film has been drawing criticism from the time the first teaser came. There are certain provocative and cringe-worthy dialogues, not suited for a mythological film, especially since you are getting one of our most revered Gods—Lord Hanuman to mouth it.”

However, he said, the film is “Om’s vision, if someone does not like it, they should not watch it”.

While it is a winning story at the box office, Adipurush is spinning two diametrically opposite narratives and the simmering embers are not likely to die down soon.

(With inputs by Yogesh Naik)