Adipurush’s flop a cautionary tale for reinterpreting religious stories

A lot of films have been at the centre of controversies in all the years I have been an observer of the film trade. Some, because they chose a subject where a certain community was at the centre of the story, some, while they were attempting a realistic film, and some others who loved a book penned by a renowned writer, decided it was worth retelling it as a film and getting brickbats in return.

Take, for instance, 'Ramnagari' by Ram Nagarkar. The film was made by the National Award-winning filmmaker Kantilal Rathod in 1982. Objections were raised against certain references in the film and the Censor Board stalled its release. The problem Shah Rukh Khan's 'Billu Barber' faced some 27 years later was similar. The community known as Nayi or Hajam is called Barber in English.

In later years, these examples were followed by communities on a larger scale and somewhere along the way, various political groups with vested interests got involved and films such as 'PK', 'Ramleela' and 'Padmavat', among others, had to pay the price. There were mild objections to 'The Accidental Prime Minister' as well as 'The Kashmir Files' and the recent release, 'The Kerala Story'. These protests, again, had political hues.

Films are a soft target. Sadly, film folk never speak up either way. But, never in my long career in film trade journalism have I been a witness to something like 'Adipurush'! Who is Adi here? Lord Rama? Adi, I presume, has different definitions depending on a culture. Does it mean someone as ancient as Adam (of Adam and Eve). As the Hindi saying goes: Baba Adam ke zamane ka.

'Adipurush' reminded me of the 1977 Kannada movie, 'Aadi Manava'. I suggest you Google for its poster. Lord Rama was not Adipurush. He was described as Purushottam, a complete man, a man above all other men.

The films on the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata have been made many times, in Hindi as well as by the southern film industries. And, not only have they always adhered to the tomes written aeons ago, but also have been successful without depending on controversy. The fact is, mythological films are a popular genre in the Indian film industry with the biggest of banners making them on a regular basis. That was till the television medium came in and relieved filmmakers of this genre.

A Sunday morning is meant for sleeping till late and starting late, but, when Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan or BR Chopra's Mahabharat were telecast every Sunday morning, people bathed and got ready to watch them. Streets used to be empty.

Indians are quite attached to their beliefs and are proud and protective about them. I remember two films. One was 'Jai Santoshi Maa'. Not many people had heard about this particular deity. But when the film was released in 1975, people, especially women, flocked to the cinemas to watch the film.

There were reports of viewer leaving their footwear outside cinemas. The film created such a huge following of believers that people took to keeping a fast for 16 Fridays to please the deity.

Earlier, in 1969, we had a film titled 'Nanak Naam Jahaz Hai', a film based on the Sikh faith. One had to live in that era to see what a frenzy the film had created in the North, particularly in Punjab.

In the case of this film, too, no one entered the cinemas with footwear on. In the recent past, we had 'Chaar Sahibzaade', an animated film on the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th and last Sikh guru, who sacrificed their lives to protect the faith.

And, now, somebody goes and makes 'Adipurush'! What is it all about? I think 'Adipurush', as the film has been titled, is a chapter out of one of the greatest epics of India, Ramayana, where the protagonist, Lord Ram, has earned the place of a god among Hindus.

Call this mythology or call it an epic, it is a story revered across India. The tomes are not oral and have been written by rishis. Then there comes a media-bred, self-styled genius on Indian culture and beliefs who claims he has written the film 'Adipurush' to suit the ethos of 2023!

So, what does he do to make it contemporary? He redefines the characters of Ram, Sita, Hanuman and Ravan. He also redefines the way they dress! Come on, if you are casting them in the present times, Rama should be sporting fatigues and an automatic rifle and the same goes for Ravan! Why does Ravan look as if he's from ISIS, sporting an Islamic beard and look? Why is Sita draped in whites? Don't you know that is the dress of a widow in our culture?

Manoj Muntashir, who is presented as the face of the project, 'Adipurush', and mostly responsible for mucking up this project, earned fame and public recognition through his song, 'Teri mitti...' from the film 'Kesari'.

Since then, I have seen him on music-based television serials where he composes on-the-spot couplets. Frankly, they don’t always make sense. I know the language well! There is no meaning, meter or rhyme in what he comes up with.

As for his research for the film 'Adipurush', what research can one do? The age-old story of Ramayana is all one needed to follow. What research showed that Sita was an Indian and that Nepal was a part of India? In Mumbai and in the South, the Ramayana has been made as a film many times. They have never disappointed viewers or created controversy.

Now that everything, from the presentation of characters to the costumes, has been mucked up, Muntashir promises to rephrase the dialogues. When I heard them the first time, they sounded like the kind 'Gully Boy' or a Manmohan Desai film would have!

I wonder if any filmmaker has the courage to make a 2023 film on Jesus Christ wearing jeans and T-shirts and mouthing f-words. Or, on any other religious head? Muntashir is a media-made scholar and that same media wants his head today! What has 'Adipurush' achieved? It has displeased the believers and earned their anger. It has also upset a neighbouring country, Nepal, which has been screening Indian films forever, but has now decided to ban not only 'Adipurush' but all films from India!

This ban was lifted by a local Katmandu court but the city mayor, who had banned the movies, is still adamant.