Adipurush
Adipurush, the much-anticipated film starring Prabhas and Kriti Sanon, has taken the box office by storm, grossing a whopping Rs 340 crore in its first weekend globally. Despite problems and controversy, the picture was able to draw spectators and become an economic success. The movie is a 2023 Indian mythical action film based on the Hindu epic Ramayana. Om Raut directed as well as co-wrote the film, which was co-produced by T-Series and Retrophiles.
It aired on June 16 and has received mixed reactions from audiences and critics. The film’s box office result, however, was unexplored by the trolling. The film has shown endurance and continues to connect with people in India as well as around the world.
The makers of Adipurush postponed the film’s release date. It was due to widespread condemnation of its trailer for the poor quality of its VFX and visual effects. They rescheduled Om Raut’s film from its original January release date to June 16, 2023. However, this didn’t stop the movie from becoming everyone’s favorite after the delay.
T-Series, the film’s producers, revealed the astounding day three box office haul. Within the first three days of release, the film made over Rs 65 crore net in India and over Rs 300 crore globally. Adipurush is now the second movie this year, after Pathaan, to surpass the Rs 300 crore mark in such a short period of time. All thanks to this accomplishment. It is one of the most costly Indian films, with a budget of 500 crore (US$63 million).
The Hindi version of Adipurush had a strong domestic debut, earning Rs 37.25 crore. It was the third-highest opening weekend for a pan-India film, topping Brahmastra and trailing Pathaan and KGF: Chapter 2. Adipurush broke Pathaan’s previous record for the largest opening day for a pan-Indian film, making Rs 140 crore on its first day and Rs 240 crore in two days.
Upon its initial release, Adipurush received unfavorable reviews. Audiences criticized its visual effects and specific conversations that trivialized the respected characters of the epic. The film faced chastisement for several dialogues that were considered insulting to the epic Ramayana.
On Sunday, Balendra Shah, the mayor of Kathmandu, announced on Facebook that he has directed theaters in the city to stall playing any Bollywood films. He explicitly demanded the makers of Adipurush delete a specific dialogue. Mr. Shah emphasized that no Indian films would be allowed to be shown in Kathmandu until the problematic content was removed from the film.
Similarly, Dhanraj Acharya, the mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City, advised theaters to stop showing Adipurush.
In response, co-writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla stated on Sunday that they would alter the problematic dialogues and reintroduce them into the film. They didn’t curve to look through the audience’s sentiments. And hence, took proactive steps to rectify the situation, including having a word with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Reportedly, T-Series, the film’s producer, responded to Mr. Shah by writing a statement clarifying that their intention was not to cause discord. The BBC reached out to T-Series for further comment.
Several opposition politicians as well as BJP politicians have condemned the film. Some even demanded its ban. Bhupesh Baghel, the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh state and a member of the Congress party, said the film’s language was “indecent” and wanted the movie to be banned for good. Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi strongly criticized the film for its portrayal of Ram, a revered figure worshipped by Hindus as ‘Maryada Purushottam,’ the ideal man. Praveen Shankar Kapoor, Delhi BJP spokesperson made an appeal to IB(Information and Broadcasting) Minister Anurag Thakur regarding the film. He made an appeal for a re-examination of the film for its “controversial scenes and dialogues”. Kapoor is in support of a ban on the movie until the censor board reviews it.
Despite making an official declaration about the adjustments made to the movie, dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla and director Om Raut has received harsh criticism from the general public. At a press conference in Madhya Pradesh, the Kshatriya Karni Sena even threatened to kill Shukla and Raut for penning the dialogue and directing it. The Kshatriya Karni Sena’s National President, Dr. Raj Shekhawat, publicly threatened Raut, saying they would create a squad in Mumbai to find and harm him. The Mumbai Police have made the decision to give Manoj Muntashir security as a result of the threat. For his contribution to the most recent film, Adipurush, the lyricist and writer received criticism.