Hindus has responded sharply to the inaccurate portrayal of Prabhu Shri Ram, Shri Hanuman, and Ravana ever since the Bollywood film Adipurush’s teaser was released. The top priest of the Ayodhya Ram Temple, Satyendra Das, urged an immediate ban on the film on Wednesday (October 5).

“The portrayal of Bhagwan Ram, Hanuman and Ravana does not conform with the epic and therefore is against their dignity. Making a film is not a crime but they should not be made to create deliberate controversies to hog the limelight,” the senior priest said.

Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, the Deputy Chief Ministers (DCM) of Uttar Pradesh, spoke out in favor of the saints. They have also expressed their sadness and criticized the teaser, stating that it would not be acceptable to disrespect Hindu Devis and Devatas.

“We should consider what the saints have said. Hindus’ feelings have frequently been hurt by movies. These saints and akharas always defended our culture when it was under attack,” said DCM Brajesh Pathak. According to the comments from DCM Brajesh, we are proud of our culture. Although DCM Keshav Maurya said he hadn’t seen the Adipurush teaser, he asked the filmmakers to hold off on releasing the movie until all essential modifications had been done.

“The Ravana in the picture I see circulating is a person who doesn’t appear Indian at all, has blue eye makeup, and is dressed in leather jackets. They cannot interpret our history under the garb of artistic freedom, according to BJP spokesperson Malvika Avinash.

Adipurush is opposed by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), as well. “Hindu society’s values have been mocked. This will not be tolerated in Hindu society. The VHP will not permit this movie to be shown in theaters, according to Ajay Sharma, Prachar Pramukh of the VHP Sambhal Unit.

Adipurush’s producers had been threatened with legal action earlier on October 4 by Madhya Pradesh Narottam Mishra if problematic sequences weren’t cut from the film. “Hanuman Ji is depicted wearing leather, but the description of the deity’s attire (in the scriptures) is different… Religious feelings are wounded by these scenes. I’m asking Om Raut in a letter to cut all of these scenes from the movie. If it’s not taken down, we’ll think about taking legal action,” he was quoted by the media.

While this was going on, the Sarva Brahmin Mahasabha on Thursday (October 6) sent a notice to Om Raut, the director of Adipurush starring Prabhas and Kriti Sanon, requesting that he take down contentious sequences from the movie within seven days or face legal repercussions. On behalf of Pt. Suresh Mishra, National President of the Sarva Brahmin Mahasabha, and lawyer Kamlesh Sharma sent the notification.

The notice mentions, “The depiction of Hindu Gods and Goddesses is being done in a wrong way in this film. In this film, Hindu Gods and Goddesses are shown in a very distorted form, wearing leather clothes and they are being seen speaking in an indecent manner. In fact, very low-level language has been used in the film which is provoking and hurting religious sentiments. There are dialogues and depictions spreading religious and caste hatred in the film. Ramayana is our history and our spirit, however, in Adipurush, Sri Hanuman is shown as a Mughal.”

It added, “Which Hindu bears a beard without a moustache that Sri Hanumanji has been shown to do.” This movie completely Islamizes Prabhu Ram, Maa Sita, and Sri Hanuman as well as the Ramayana. Even Saif Ali Khan, who plays Ravana in the Adipurush film, shares Taimur and Khilji’s appearance. By stirring up religious sentiments in the nation, the movie will create animosity toward a specific class. The Internet is being used to disseminate this image extensively, which is detrimental to our culture and nation. The notice said, “You are making a film that hurts the sentiments of crores of Hindus,” said the notice.

“You are requested not to play with the sentiments of the people, do not stigmatise the faith of the people and depict the film as it is depicted in Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas.” As a result, a legal notification was sent, requesting that all conversation illustrations be deleted and a public apology for the aforesaid crimes made within seven days, or else legal action would be pursued.

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