New Delhi: Mumbai Police has provided security to screenwriter Manoj Muntashir after he complained of a threat to his life following fierce criticism of the film’s dialogues.
The cops are also investigating the matter.
Social media barreled into Muntashir for what people called pedestrian and controversial dialogues in this dramatic retelling of the Ramayana.
The movie, which released Friday, got poor to mixed reviews but made a stellar impression on the box office in its opening weekend.
On the use of colloquial language in the film, the writer told news agency ANI that the aim was to “present the true heroes of the Sanatan (dharma) to our younger generation”. He said there was sharp criticism of five dialogues which he would change. Some of the dialogues include “marega bete”, “bua ka bagicha hain kya” and “jalegi tere baap ki”.
Muntashir took to Twitter Sunday to defend his choice of words for the screenplay.
“It is possible that in a three-hour film, I have written something different from your imagination for three minutes, but I could not know why you were in such a hurry to write eternal traitor on my forehead. Have you not heard the Jai Shri Ram song, didn’t you hear Shivoham or Ram Siya Ram? These praises of Sanatan in Adipurush are also written by me. I have also written Teri Mitti and Desh Mere. I have no complaint with you, you were, are and will be my own. If we stand against each other, Sanatan will lose. We have made Adipurush for sanatan seva, which you are seeing in large numbers and I am sure you will see in future as well.”
He, however, said since his “countless arguments” would not allay the moviegoer’s “pain”, the producer and director had decided to change the “hurtful” dialogues.
Directed by Om Raut, ‘Adipurush’ stars Prabhas as Lord Ram, Kriti Sanon as Sita, Sunny Singh as Laxman and Saif Ali Khan as Raavan.
Even politicians critiqued parts of the screenplay, particularly the lines delivered by Hanuman.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party MP Priyanka Chaturvedi demanded an apology from Om Raut and Manoj Muntashir Saturday, for using such “pedestrian” language for revered deities.
She accused them of crossing all boundaries of maryada (dignity) for quick box office success.
Former Congress MP Ajoy Kumar slammed the dialogues as “shoddy” and “unacceptable”.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel attacked the central government and the censor board for approving a film “which was playing with our faith, making fun of our idol”.
Meanwhile, Nepal has banned all Hindi films, including Adipurush from capital Kathmandu and the tourist town of Pokhara, over Sita being called “India’s daughter” in the film.
Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah on Sunday said no Hindi film would be allowed in Kathmandu until the dialogue “Janaki is a daughter of India” was removed not just in Nepal but also in India.
Sita, also referred to as Janaki, is believed by many to have been born in Janakpur in southeast Nepal. Shah said screening the film would cause “irreparable damage”.