(This article is authored by Alar)

The controversy surrounding the film ‘Adipurush’, a cinematic adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana, has taken a new turn as the script writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla has issued an unconditional apology on his social media page.

The film’s dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla, who is known for his patriotic and sentimental lyrics, seems to have made a blunder by introducing street-slang and ‘tapori’ style dialogues in the film, especially for the character of Lord Hanuman. The dialogues were met with backlash from the audience and critics alike, who found them to be vulgar and out of sync with the tone and theme of the epic.

He took to Twitter on Saturday and wrote, “I accept that people’s sentiments have been hurt by the film ‘Adipurush’. I offer my unconditional forgiveness with folded hands.. May Lord Bajrang Bali bless us all, give us strength to serve our holy Sanatan and great country with one and unbreakable!.”

Muntashir Shukla’s apology comes after the Allahabad High Court’s observations on June 27, where it admonished the filmmakers for putting the tolerance of Hindus to test. The court also asked them to make changes to the film to address the concerns of Hindu groups. However, it is not clear whether Muntashir Shukla’s apology will pacify the protesters or not.

The film, directed by Om Raut and starring Prabhas as Ram, Kriti Sanon as Sita, Saif Ali Khan as Ravana, and Sunny Singh as Lakshman, has been facing criticism from various quarters since its inception. The film’s teaser, poster, dialogues, VFX and depiction of Lord Ram have been objected to by some Hindu groups who alleged that the film was inaccurate, inappropriate and disrespectful to their religious sentiments.

The film’s release also hit a snag in Nepal, where the screening was put on hold in cinema halls across Kathmandu following a controversy over a dialogue that calls Janaki (Sita) as the daughter of India. As per the mythology, Sita is believed to have been born in Janakpur, which is located in Nepal. The Kathmandu City Mayor Balendra Shah asked the makers to rectify the mistake about the birthplace of Sita and said that no Hindi films will be allowed to run in Kathmandu until then.

मैं स्वीकार करता हूँ कि फ़िल्म आदिपुरुष से जन भावनायें आहत हुईं हैं.
अपने सभी भाइयों-बहनों, बड़ों, पूज्य साधु-संतों और श्री राम के भक्तों से, मैं हाथ जोड़ कर, बिना शर्त क्षमा माँगता हूँ.
भगवान बजरंग बली हम सब पर कृपा करें, हमें एक और अटूट रहकर अपने पवित्र सनातन और महान देश की…

— Manoj Muntashir Shukla (@manojmuntashir) July 8, 2023