Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday took a dig at the makers of ‘Adipurush’ using Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s 2019 “aap chronology samajhiye” remark. CM Bhupesh Baghel said: “You need to understand the chronology…They (BJP) changed the image of ‘Maryada Purshottam Ram’ into ‘Yudhak Ram’ and ‘Lord Hanuman’ into ‘angry bird’.”
CM Baghel’s remark came amid the mounting opposition to the most recent adaptation of Itihasa Ramayana in the movie Adipurush, which stars Prabhash, Kriti Sanon, and Saif Ali Khan and was directed by Om Raut, news agency ANI reported.
‘Adipurush’ has been mired in controversies ever since it was announced. First, it was slammed for Saif Ali Khan’s “Khilji-like looks”, then it was ridiculed for its poor vfx/CGI shots, and now, it is under fire for its “cringeworthy” dialogues. However, the troubles for Adipurush makers do not stop there, as netizens have also accused them of copying a Marvel movie.
Baghel on Monday further said that “Lord Hanuman” had been altered to “angry bird” and “Maryada Purshottam Ram” had been changed to “Yudhak Ram”. However, the CM did not identify the person responsible for this shift in view.
#WATCH | “You need to understand the chronology…They (BJP) changed the image of ‘Maryada Purshottam Ram’ into ‘Yudhak Ram’ and ‘Lord Hanuman’ into ‘angry bird’…,” says Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel on controversy around film ‘Adipurush’. pic.twitter.com/PUmcetiqIP
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) June 19, 2023
CM Baghel’s “aap chronology samajhiye” was an apparent reference to Amit Shah’s remark in 2019 when he was explaining the stages of implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Citizens’ Register.
A multilingual retelling of the Ramayana, “Adipurush”, has become the target of demonstrations in a number of locations. All Hindi films have been banned in Nepal due to controversy over the dialogues and the portrayal of Sita as “India’s daughter”.
In the wake of the massive outrage, Mumbai Police granted the film’s dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla’s security. Viewers in various areas of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Delhi took to the streets to protest the movie.
The Om Raut-directed movie, which stars Prabhas and Kriti Sanon, has drawn criticism for its dialogue, its use of “cringeworthy” language, and the way some of the legendary figures are portrayed.
After the widespread outrage, the film’s writer and director agreed to make certain changes to the movie. Starring Prabhas as Raghav (Ram), Kriti Sanon as Janaki (Sita), and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh (Raavan), “Adipurush” was released nationwide on June 16 in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Tamil.
The production company T-Series reports that it has minted over Rs 340 crore at the box office worldwide in only three days, despite the protests.