I decided to watch Adipurush because I was intrigued to see how modern VFX can enhance the story I already hold so dear. The initial few minutes are spent on a disclaimer which does not do justice to how offensive the movie is made.

The movie directly skips to Ram (Called Raghav in the movie) and Sita (Called Janaki in the movie) in their exile. While the song Ram Siya Ram with illustrations of the story feels beautiful, they should have rolled credits after that. What happens next is entire disgrace of a story we worship.

In the initial sequence, Raghav fights an army that looks heavily inspired by dementors of Harry Potter led by a skull masked demon any Marvel fan would say resembles to Taskmaster. Janaki calls Raghav by his first name and in one sequence tells Raghav ‘You think you are so great? Give these big lectures to someone else.’

The cast feels like they’ve been forced to act. Kriti does not have any motherly aura of Sita ma. Prabhas looks like he still hasn’t moved on from his Bahubali phase. Saif Ali Khan looks like a Ravan who just came out of a DJ concert.

A few things which I found immensely disturbing:

1. The language: Hanuman saying ‘Unki Lanka laga dunga’, ‘Ab tere baap ki jalegi’ is unacceptable towards a revered god. Even Ravan saying ‘Tere mausi ka bagicha hai jo tehelne aa gaya’ to Hanuman feels like they made this movie to cater to an Audience that enjoys Hindu gods being mocked.

2. Inaccuracy: Not only is the movie highly dramatized (Even Ekta Kapoor would do a better job than what I saw) but also humiliating when they say in disclaimer they have tried to stay true to Valmiki’s Ramayan. From Ravan taking an Anaconda massage, to travelling on a huge bat and feeding the bat raw meat (Ravan was a Bramhin, he would never touch meat), the mI chose to watch Adipurush out of curiosity, wanting to see how modern visual effects could enhance a story I hold dear. However, I was disappointed by the film’s offensive content, which was not adequately addressed in the initial disclaimer.

The movie quickly jumps into the exile of Ram (referred to as Raghav) and Sita (referred to as Janaki). While the song “Ram Siya Ram” with story illustrations is visually appealing, it would have been better if the credits had rolled after that. What follows is a complete disgrace to the revered story we worship.

In the opening sequence, Raghav fights an army that appears heavily inspired by the dementors of Harry Potter, led by a skull-masked demon resembling Taskmaster from Marvel. Janaki addresses Raghav by his first name and even tells him, “You think you are so great? Give these big lectures to someone else.”

The cast feels forced in their acting. Kriti lacks the motherly aura of Sita ma, while Prabhas seems stuck in his Bahubali phase. Saif Ali Khan portrays Ravan as if he just came out of a DJ concert.

There are several aspects that deeply troubled me:

1. The language: Hearing Hanuman say phrases like “Unki Lanka laga dunga” and “Ab tere baap ki jalegi” is disrespectful toward a revered god. Even Ravan’s remark to Hanuman, “Tere mausi ka bagicha hai jo tehelne aa gaya,” feels like an attempt to mock Hindu gods for the sake of catering to an audience that enjoys such mockery.

2. Inaccuracy: Not only is the movie highly exaggerated (even Ekta Kapoor could have done a better job), but it is also humiliating when they claim to stay true to Valmiki’s Ramayan in the disclaimer. From Ravan receiving an anaconda massage to traveling on a giant bat and feeding it raw meat (Ravan being a Brahmin would never touch meat), the movie attempts to rewrite Ramayan, brainwashing the younger generation under the guise of modernization.

3. Unwanted sexualization in a religious epic: In a scene where Vibhishan joins Ram, a random woman, presumably Vibhishan’s wife, is shown changing clothes while Vibhishan sits nearby. She is already wearing a low-cut blouse revealing ample skin. What was the purpose of this scene? Why was such explicit content necessary? Does it contribute in any way to the narrative?

4. The scriptwriter’s attitude: The dialogue writer, Manoj Mustanshir, who happens to be a national award winner and has an alliance with the current government BJP, justifies the offensive content rather nonchalantly. Instead of acknowledging the audience’s concerns and being more sensitive, Manoj defends their choices as perfect. Such individuals should never be allowed to touch our epics again.

In conclusion, Adipurush is simply a PR gimmick aimed at profiting from the sentiments associated with Ramayan. Personally, Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan during Covid had a profound impact on my life. Witnessing the desecration of something so sacred has deeply hurt me. Om Raut owes an apology for the humiliation of our revered epic, and the movie should be banned immediately.

I urge anyone who has read this far: DO NOT WATCH IT. Every penny spent on movies that mock our culture is a disrespect to our hard-earned money. Let us take pride in our rich heritage and embrace the values that shape us. Modernization should not come at the cost of hurting our sentiments, benefiting individuals like Raut and Mustanshir who prioritize filling their bank accounts.

If you are a proud and learned Hindu, join the movement to #boycott #Adipurush.

Jai Shri Ram.