Adipurush: Ayodhya Ram temple head priest seeks immediate ban on Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan's film

Adipurush controversy: The head priest of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Satyendra Das has demanded a ban on the film over the alleged wrong depiction of Lord Ram, Hanuman and Ravana. 

On Wednesday, October 05, the head priest of Ram temple in Ayodhya demanded an immediate ban on the Bollywood movie 'Adipurush', alleging that it has wrongly portrayed Lord Ram, Hanuman and Ravana. 

A 1.46-minute teaser of the movie was launched on Sunday in Ayodhya, and has been receiving blowback since then. How Ravana has been depicted is wrong and condemnable. Through the media, we demand an immediate ban on the film, priest Satyendra Das, who was here on the occasion of the annual Vijay Rath Yatra, told the media. 

He said 'Adipurush', a big budget adaptation of the Ramayana and directed by Om Raut of 'Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior' fame, doesn't show Lord Rama and Hanuman as mentioned in the epic either and hence goes against their dignity. 

BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, who was here to attend a separate 'Shastra Puja', said it appears that such controversies are being created deliberately. Making a film is not a crime. They should be made but creating deliberate controversies to hog the limelight is inappropriate, he said. 

The Vishva Hindu Parishad has also raised objections to the portrayal of Lord Ram, Lakshman and Ravana in the teaser, claiming that it "ridiculed Hindu society." They have also threatened not to allow the film's screening in theatres. 

VHP leader Ajay Sharma also expressed his displeasure at the Central Board of Film Certification and claimed they have been working arbitrarily and irresponsibly.

Kesav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, the deputy chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, criticised the teaser for Adipurush and declared that disrespect for Hindu gods and goddesses would not be permitted. Malavika Avinash, a spokesman for the BJP, had criticised the film's creators and said that they had done little study before creating Ravana's persona.

Fronted by 'Baahubali' star Prabhas, who features as Lord Ram, the multilingual period saga sees Saif Ali Khan play the role of a 10-headed demon king called Lankesh. With a beard, fierce eyes and a buzz cut, he seems barbarism personified and many called out the filmmakers for the apparent Islamisation of Ravana. Kriti Sanon and Sunny Singh are among the talented actors in the Hindi-Telugu multilingual. The movie Adipurush is scheduled to premiere on January 12, 2023.

(Inputs from PTI)