On Friday, a right-wing party filed a petition with the Delhi High Court asking for instructions for the removal or modification of what they claimed to be objectionable portions in the film “Adipurush” including figures like Ram, Sita, Ravana, and Hanuman.
Om Raut’s film, which was released countrywide on Friday, is the subject of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging that the characters in the film depart from how these holy heroes are portrayed in the epic “Ramayana.”
The PIL, which was brought by the president of the “Hindu Sena,” Vishnu Gupta, also questions the certification given to the movie under the Cinematograph Act of 1952 and names the director, producers, and official parties as respondents.
The argument made by the petitioner is that the film “offends the sentiments” of the Hindu community by portraying holy figures in “an inaccurate and inappropriate manner” that conflicts with the descriptions contained in works by authors like Maharishi Valmiki and Saint Tulsidas.
The petition contends that the representation of figures in the movie like Hanuman and Ravana (played by Saif Ali Khan) is wholly alien to Indian culture.
“The bearded look of Ravana’s character played by Saif Ali Khan in the film is hurting the sentiments of Hindu community as the Hindu Brahmin Ravana is shown making a ghastly face in a wrong manner which is an absolute insult to Hindu civilisation, Hindu religious figures, idols, ideals, etc.,” the plea alleges.
Additionally, the petition asserts that performers who played Hindu holy figures in Ramanand Sagar’s “Ramayana” have expressed anger and dissatisfaction over the “inaccurate” portrayal of these figures.
“The hair style, beard, moustache, and dressing manner including appearances are well defined as per the image created in those epics. Any variation of these images by the film producers and directors and actors would certainly hurt the sentiments of worshipers, devotees and religious believers,” the petition claims.
The movie stars Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, and Saif Ali Khan in the leading roles of Ram, Sita, and Ravan.
