In a recent development, the Allahabad High Court has expressed severe criticism over the controversial film ‘Adipurush’, citing the “shameful and vulgar” portrayal of revered characters. The court has summoned the film’s director Om Raut, producer Bhushan Kumar, and dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir to appear in person on July 27, along with personal affidavits explaining their intentions.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The court’s decision follows public interest litigation (PIL) petitions calling for a ban on the film due to its offensive depiction of characters from the Ramayana, which appears to be the film’s primary source of inspiration. The court has also ordered the formation of an expert committee to reassess whether ‘Adipurush’ accurately represents the Ramayana.
The court’s order stated
“So many scenes of the film depicting Devi Sita are disgraceful to her very character and some scenes depicting wife of Vibhishana are prima-facie obscene also which are absolutely unwarranted and uncalled for. Even depiction of Ravan, his Lanka etc. is so ridiculous and cheap.”
The court further emphasized that individuals cannot engage in actions that violate decency, morality, and public order under the guise of freedom of speech and expression. The court noted,
“We are pained noticing the fact that while making such film, the film makers and the dialogue writer have not taken care of feelings and emotions of public at large depicting the characters and dialogues in shameful and vulgar manner knowingly well that those Icons/ Lords e.g. Lord Rama, Devi Sita and Lord Hanuman are worshiped by the large number of persons of the society.”
The court also expressed its disappointment with the Censor Board and the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for their failure to take timely action following the film’s release, despite significant public unrest. The court stated, “It is not fair to ignore the voice of those people who despite being offended seriously after the release of this film but have been maintaining the public order and are following the law and order.”
The court has decided to give the concerned authorities an opportunity to address the grievances raised before issuing any coercive order. It has ordered the constitution of an expert committee within a week to examine the issue. The committee, consisting of at least five members, should be well-versed with Valmiki Ramayana, Tulsikriti Ramcharit Manas, and other religious epics.
The committee is tasked with examining “whether the depiction of story of the film of Lord Rama, Devi Sita, Lord Hanuman and Ravan etc. have been depicted in conformity with the Valmiki Ramayana etc.” The committee is expected to submit a report to the court by July 27.
The Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has also been ordered to file a report on whether applicable guidelines concerning film exhibition have been followed in allowing the release of ‘Adipurush’.
The court was hearing a plea filed by social activists Kuldeep Tiwari and Bandana Kumar, who have asserted that ‘Adipurush’ has cast doubts on the integrity of the revered epic Ramayana and has defamed the cultural heritage of Ayodhya as well as the Hindu religion.
The court’s decision has been widely reported, highlighting the ongoing controversy surrounding the film ‘Adipurush’. The case continues to unfold, with the next hearing scheduled for July 27.