Plea seeks stay on release of film Adipurush, alleges wrong portrayal of Lord Rama and Hanuman

New Delhi: A plea seeking stay on the release of Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan and Kriti Sanon starrer movie Adipurush has been moved in a Delhi Court.

The plea alleged that Lord Rama and Hanuman are portrayed in an unwarranted and inaccurate depiction of wearing leather straps. It also said that Ravana has been shown in a wrong appearance. The plea has been moved by advocate Raj Gaurav against Bhushan Kumar and Om Raut, the producer and director of the film. The plea has been listed for Monday for hearing before Senior Civil Judge Abhishek Kumar of Tees Hazari Court.

It has been alleged that in the trailer of the movie character of Lord Rama, Hanuman and Ravana has been shown in a manner that hurt the religious sentiments of the applicant and many others.

It has been claimed that the defendants have hurt the religious, cultural, historical and civilizational sentiments of the plaintiff and many other Hindus by depicting Lord Rama and Hanuman in an unwarranted and inaccurate way in the teaser/promo video of their upcoming movie Adipurush.

“Lord Rama is shown as an angry man on a killing spree. Lord Hanuman and Lord Rama are also shown wearing leather accessories in a teaser uploaded on the YouTube page of the producer,” the plea said.

The plea also mentioned the painting of Raja Ravi Verma and the serial Ramayan depicting the characters of Ramayana in a good manner.

As per the Hindu faith, lord Rama is portrayed to be a calm, magnanimous and seren figure but the defendant has tried to portray Lord Rama as an angry fighter. The picture of Lord Rama has been portrayed in the Constitution of India where he is shown as calm and composed, the plea stated.

It is submitted that Rama being a manifestation of God in human form has always been portrayed to be an adorning crown on his head along with Lord Lakshmana and goddess Sita even when they were in exile. But the defendant has been portrayed in a bad manner by showing him without a crown and without having tilaka on his forehead.

The plea said the character of Ravana played by actor Saif Ali Khan has been shown to be awfully cheap and appalling to the real traits of Ravana.

Ravana has been shown to have boy-cut, crewcut hairstyle with blade marks over the ears. He is shown to be riding a bat, the plea said.

It is also said that the Ravana’s character is always shown as a staunch believer and worshipper of Lord Shiva who gracefully dresses and has an identifiable moustache. He always adorns a Tilak on his forehead with a golden crown.
“He rides his magnificent Pushpak Yan. He is the one who wrote Ravan Samhita and Shiv Tandav Strotram. Although his effigy is burnt in north India on the occasion of Dussehra but at many places, he is worshipped,” the petition added.

It is also said that Ravana belongs to Sri Lanka and his traits are identifiable with one of Sri Lanka whereas the defendant in the trailer of the movie has tried to portray Ravana to be belonging to middle East Asia identifying him with one as Mughal antecedent i.e. one who invaded India. The defendant has tried to portray Ravana who was a Brahmin as a Muslim.

The petitioner has sought a permanent injunction against the trailer/promo of the movie. He also sought a direction to remove the trailer from all social media including YouTube and Facebook.