'People's Emotions Have Been Hurt': Adipurush Dialogue Writer Manoj Muntashir Issues Unconditional Apology

Manoj Muntashir, dialogue writer of the movie 'Adipurush', on Saturday (8 July) issued an "unconditional apology" for hurting people's sentiments.

Directed by Om Raut, Adipurush, which is an adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana, has drawn heavy criticism post-release.

In the face of online outrage and negative reviews, the makers of Adipurush also revamped the dialogues. However, the damage was already done and the movie's box office collection faltered after the outrage.

"I accept people’s emotions have been hurt by Adipurush. With folded hands, I extend my unconditional apologies. May Prabhu Bajrang Bali keep us united and grant us strength to serve our sacred Sanatan and our great nation. #Adipurush," Muntashir said in a tweet.

Earlier last month, the Allahabad High Court, while hearing two petitions seeing ban on exhibition of 'Adipurush', heavily criticised the makers of the film over its dialogues and disclaimer.

The court made several damning observations on the film.

The bench of Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Shree Prakash Singh said:

“The one who is gentle should be suppressed? Is it so? It is good that it is about a religion, the believers of which did not create any public order problem. We should be thankful. We saw in the news that some people had gone to cinema halls (wherein the movie was being exhibited) and they only forced them to close the hall, they could have done something else as well.”

“Agar hum log ispar bhi aankh band kar len kyonki yeh kaha jaata hai ki yeh dharm ke log bade sahishnu (Tolerant) hain to kya uska test liya jayega? (If we close our eyes on this issue also, because it is said that the people of this religion are very tolerant, so will it be put to test?).”

“The issue here (in the PILs) is that the way the movie has been made, there are some scriptures which are exemplary and are worthy of worship. People recite Ramcharitmanas before leaving their homes.”

Reacting to the argument by the respondents that a disclaimer has been added by the filmmakers that the film is not an adaptation of Ramayan but is inspired by the text, the court said:

"Do the people who put the disclaimer consider the countrymen, and youth to be brainless? You show Lord Rama, Lord Laxman, Lord Hanuman, Ravana, Lanka and then say it is not Ramayana?"