The Allahabad High Court on Saturday (July 1) slammed the makers of the film "Adipurush" for their portrayal of certain characters, calling it "shameful and vulgar." The film's director Om Raut, producer Bhushan Kumar, and dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir have been ordered to appear in court on July 27 and submit affidavits clarifying their credibility. In addition, the court has directed the formation of an expert committee to reassess the film's fidelity to the Ramayana, its primary source of inspiration.
The order was issued by a Bench of Justices Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Shree Prakash Singh in response to public interest litigation (PIL) petitions seeking a ban on the film, Bar and Bench reported. The Court chastised the filmmakers for not being sensitive to the holiness and sanctity of the characters, as well as for the film's substandard dialogue and vulgar language, it said.
"So many scenes in the film depicting Devi Sita are disgraceful to her character, and some scenes depicting Vibhishana's wife are prima-facie obscene as well, which is completely unwarranted and uncalled for. Even the depiction of Ravan, his Lanka, and so on is ridiculous and cheap," the order said, according to the report.
"Those facts have been narrated in both PILs properly enclosing the relevant material," it added.
The Bench further emphasised that under the guise of free speech and expression, individuals cannot engage in actions that are against decency, morality, and public order.
The order read: "We are pained to note that while making such a film, the filmmakers and dialogue writer have not taken care of the feelings and emotions of the public at large, depicting the characters and dialogues in a shameful and vulgar manner knowingly well that those Icons/ Lords e.g. Lord Rama, Devi Sita, and Lord Hanuman are worshipped by a large number of persons of the society".
According to the order, the Censor Board failed to fulfil its legal obligation by issuing the certificate to release the film.
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Court Slams Centre For Inaction On 'Adipurush' Release Amid Public Unrest
Furthermore, despite significant public outrage, the Court found that the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting failed to take timely action following the film's release.
"It is not fair to ignore the voice of those people who, despite being seriously offended by the film's release, have maintained public order and followed the law and order," the order stated.
It also acknowledged the petitioners' complaint that the film was not an isolated incident. The Court was told that previous films had depicted Hindu Gods, Goddesses, and icons in a disrespectful and offensive manner.
Expert Committee Formation: Ensuring Accuracy Of Depictions In Film
The Court, however, decided to give the concerned authorities an opportunity to address the grievances raised before issuing any coercive order, the report said. It then directed that an expert committee of at least five members be formed within a week to investigate the matter.
The Court stated that the members should be familiar with the Valmiki Ramayana, which is said to be the main source of inspiration for the film, as well as Tulsikriti Ramcharit Manas and other religious epics.
This committee will look into "whether the depiction of the story of Lord Rama, Devi Sita, Lord Hanuman, and Ravan, etc. in the film has been depicted in conformity with the Valmiki Ramayana, etc," the report read.
The committee is supposed to submit a report before the Court by July 27.
The Court was hearing a petition filed by social activists Kuldeep Tiwari and Bandana Kumar, who claimed that Adipurush questioned the integrity of the revered epic Ramayana and defamed Ayodhya's cultural heritage as well as the Hindu religion.