Ban Adipurush, says Ayodhya priest: Seems like the trouble is not getting over anytime soon for Om Raut’s Adipurush. The film, starring Prabhas, Kriti Sanon and Saif Ali Khan among others, has landed in a new controversy after the chief priest of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple demanded a ban on the movie. In his latest interview with a daily, priest Satyendra Das questioned the depiction of the characters in Adipurush and criticised the makers for making the film.Also Read – Adipurush: Here’s How Much The Actors Charged For Their Respective Roles, Prabhas’s Salary Will Blow You Mind – Watch Video
DO NOT MAKE RAMAYAN TO HOG LIMELIGHT, SAYS AYODHYA PRIEST AGAINST ADIPURUSH
While speaking to Hindustan Times, he said he’s not against making a film about Ramayana or portraying the characters but the depiction should be right. Das criticised the portrayal of Lord Ram, Hanuman and Ravana in the film. He said none of these characters has been made to look like how they have been described in the texts. “Making a film is not a crime but they should not be made to create deliberate controversies to hog the limelight,” he said. Also Read – Adipurush Poster Copied: Animation Studio Claims Prabhas’ Film Takes Too Much ‘Inspiration’
ADIPURUSH CONTROVERSY: OBJECTIONS RAISED OVER PORTRAYAL OF RAVAN, HANUMAN
The statement comes a day after many politicians raised objections over the portrayal of characters in Adipurush. BJP spokesperson Malavika Avinash earlier questioned the research that the makers did before designing the character of Ravan in Adipurush. She said the teaser of the film shows Saif dressed in ‘leather jackets’ with blue eye makeup and that’s exactly the kind of ‘creative liberty’ one shouldn’t have taken with Ramayan. “The Ravana in the photograph that I see floating around is a guy who looks nothing Indian, has blue eye makeup and is wearing leather jackets. This is our history they are representing; they cannot do it in the guise of creative liberty,” she said. Also Read – Adipurush Controversy: When Director Om Raut Talked About ‘Fear of Misrepresentation’ in Prabhas-Kriti Sanon Starrer
Expressing disappointment with the teaser and the characterisation in Adipurush, Vishva Hindu Parishad member Ajay Sharma said the ‘Hindu society’ will not tolerate such mocking of Ramayan. “The values of Hindu society have been ridiculed. Hindu society will not tolerate this. The VHP will not allow this film to be screened in theatres,” said Sharma who’s the Prachar Pramukh of the VHP’s Sambhal unit.
HANUMAN JI IS WEARING LEATHER: ADIPURUSH CRITICISM GROWS
On Tuesday, even the home minister of Madhya Pradesh, Narottam Mishra, said, “Hanuman ji is shown wearing leather, whereas the description (in the scriptures) of the deity’s costume is different… These are scenes that hurt religious sentiments. I am writing a letter to Om Raut to remove all such scenes from the film. If not removed, we will consider legal action.”
Meanwhile, director Om Raut recently addressed the criticism over the sub-par CGI and the VFX work in Adipurush. He said the VFX work is such that it can only justify the quality on the big screen. Raut said the graphic work in the film can’t be appreciated on a phone’s screen. He told Indian Express, “I was disheartened for sure, not surprised because the film is made for a larger medium-the big screen. You can cut it down to some extent but can’t bring it down to a mobile phone. That’s an environment I can’t control. Given a choice, I’d never put it on YouTube but that’s the need of the hour. We need to put it there so that it reaches a wide audience.”
Adipurush is slated to hit the screens on January 12. Watch this space for all the latest updates on the film!