Just Released Film ‘Adipurush’ Is Undoubtedly A Saffron Friendly Project Gone Wrong

By Sushil Kutty

The politics in the Ramayana is over after a few turns of the pages. Machinations of the ‘second wife’ which conspired to send Lord Rama into exile with wife Sita and brother Lakshmana in tow; thereby setting the stage for the most celebrated kidnap-cum-rescue dramas of all-time; a stunning piece of screenplay. And now this gem of a story has been hijacked and turned into a piece of common trash for narrow political benefit.

The movie ‘Adipurush’ is drawing flak for its crass dialogues and even worse VFX, the storytelling left to the imagination of a lyricist whose political leanings have been like the shifting sands in time. He and the film’s director, another dubious Modi-bhakt, are facing flak for making a movie that hit the big-screen with endorsements from a bunch of Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states including of UP, MP, Assam and Maharashtra.

The movie ‘Adipurush’ is without doubt a Sangh Parivar project gone wrong. The Modi and BJP-links of the film’s makers are too apparent to be overlooked. In fact, the links are documented and video-graphed, and cannot be erased. A devious mind was at work behind ‘Operation Adipurush’. An over-simplified mind will trace the link straight to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who loves to change history, and not be off the mark.

The distorted storyline of ‘Adipurush’ fits the workings of the vishwaguru’s mental make-up.  Adipurush’ has a ‘Ravana’ at the core of it, both on-screen and off-screen. Somebody who has used the limited talents of a one-song wonder lyricist to malign the sterling characters of revered role models of a billion and more people, to further narrow political ends – there is only one political party which benefits from a movie on ‘Ram’ on the eve of the  opening of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir!

But nobody could have imagined that not just the movie, but also that the move would boomerang! As usual, BJP brain waves are those of the scatterbrained, which fits the pen name of the lead dialogue writer of ‘Adipurush’, a certain lyricist with the nickname ‘Muntashir’, which is Arabic/Urdu for ‘dispersed’, ‘scattered’. Now, after the treatment that the movie got, the ‘Ram’ of ‘Adipurush’ is unrecognizable, and the ‘Sita’ of Prabhas could be more clothed.

The most harm has been done to the character of Lord Hanuman by the BJP’s minions in Bollywood. Imagine how the Karnataka voter was sought to be fooled with the repeated cries of “Jai Bajrang Bali’. Where is the man now, the ‘Adipurush’ of current Indian politics? Will, wherever he is, please stand up?

Demands to ban ‘Adipurush’ and action against the makers of the film aren’t going to work. The director, writer and producer of the film have the Prime Minister’s back. The BJP and the RSS have their own ‘new idea’ of Hinduism, which could be ‘Hindutva’, and a replacement of Valmiki’s ‘Ramayana’ was in the cards. The new Ramayana of Muntashir has ‘Adipurush’ instead of Rama and his Ravana, in keeping with the times, looks like a convert to Islam.

‘Adipurush’ has united the entire Opposition much like the Patna Conclave could. A bunch of political parties – AAP, Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) – have accused the filmmaker of hurting the people’s sentiments with the crass portrayal of Lord Hanuman, forcing the BJP to ask for a “temporary suspension” of the film.

Manoj Muntashir Shukla is today the most hated lyricist in the country. The Congress called Shukla’s language in the film unfit for “Lord Shri Hanuman” who “is the symbol of gentleness and seriousness”. It was only last week that Priyanka Vadra Gandhi prayed to Lord Hanuman in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. The BJP should be in panic after Muntashir’s dialogues.

The Congress has a history of using the Ramayana for electoral benefits. In 1987, Ramanand Sagar’s ‘Ramayana’ was praised by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as a TV serial which communicated the “great culture, tradition and moral values of India”. June 17, the Congress spokesperson hailed Ramanand Sagar for not hurting the feelings of crores of people with “tapori language”. She pointed out the difference between “religion and the business of religion”.

Certainly, the BJP banked on getting cheap popularity on the strength of cheaper dialogues. Importantly, it is in a dilemma: How to defend its own creation? The movie has the backing of Hindutva icons Yogi Adityanath and Himanta Biswa Sarma. As also MP Home Minister Narrotam Mishra. And Manoj ‘Muntashir’ Shukla is followed by top BJP leaders in the realm. When the Ayodhya Ram Mandir is opened for the devotees, the BJP would do good for itself if it stopped claiming ownership of Lord Rama. Also remember that Lord Hanuman is definitely not on the BJP’s side. Otherwise, it would have won Karnataka.  (IPA Service)

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