Allahabad High Court slams makers, censor board over Adipurush dialogues

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday reprimanded the makers of the film Adipurush for its dialogues that have angered a large section of the audience and have been accused of hurting religious sentiments, according to a report published by NDTV.

The court's remarks came while hearing two public interest litigations (PILs), which argued that the film had portrayed religious figures like Lord Rama, Hanuman, and others in an objectionable manner.

The court said that the dialogues in the film are a cause for concern and the Ramayana is a paragon for many people. The court ordered that co-writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla be made a party to the case, and issued a notice requiring him to respond within one week.

The Allahabad High Court expressed doubt as to whether the film certification authority fulfilled its responsibility. ''Cinema is the mirror of society....what do you (the board) want to teach the future generations?'' it asked.

The court stated that it was fortunate that people did not destroy the law and order situation after watching the film and it was very difficult to watch such films. The court also remarked that Lord Hanuman and Sita have not been portrayed correctly and such things should have been removed from the start.

The Deputy Solicitor General informed the court that the objectionable dialogue in the film have been removed. The court then asked the Deputy SG to ask the censor board why they did not remove the dialogue before the film was released.

Adipurush, starring Prabhas and Kriti Sanon, was released in theatres across the world on June 16. The Hindi dialogues penned by Manoj Muntashir Shukla received heavy criticism for its “pedestrian language”. The VFX, script, and depiction of religious figures in the film upset many and led to protests across the country with some groups asking for a ban on the film.