Adipurush makers' U-turn sparks controversy: 'Prabhas film not a direct adaptation of Ramayana'

In a surprising turn of events, Manoj Muntashir Shukla, the dialogue writer of Adipurush, has made a U-turn regarding the nature of the movie. The film, starring Telugu superstar Prabhas in the lead, has faced criticism for its portrayal of the iconic characters from the Ramayana.

Amid growing outrage from the audience, Manoj emphasised that Adipurush should not be mistaken as a direct adaptation of the Ramayana. In a recent interview, he stated, "I told this earlier and now telling it yet again, we did not make Ramayan, we were just heavily inspired by Ramayan and made Adipurush."

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He further explained that the marketing strategy could have been more beneficial if they had named the movie Ramayan, instead of Adipurush. 

This statement has drawn attention to Manoj's previous remarks where he claimed that Adipurush is a direct retelling of Ramayan. In an earlier interview, he had stated, "Have we wandered off from the original Ramayan? Have we tried to modernize it or give a different take on it? Absolutely, no. We have made exactly the same Ramayan that people have grown up watching and listening to."

The contradictory statements have fueled the controversy surrounding the film and its adherence to the original source material. Manoj has come under heavy fire for the use of colloquial language in the dialogues, which some argue does not honour the sanctity of the Ramayana. The lines of Hanuman while setting Lanka on fire have particularly sparked extreme reactions from people from all walks of life.

Contrary to Manoj's latest claims, Adipurush was promoted as the big-screen adaptation of Valmiki's Ramayana. However, it backfired when many audiences took objection to the way how all the main characters have been portrayed in the movie. Writer-director Om Raut is at the centre of the raging controversy. Fans of Prabhas, especially have slammed the director for the way he has presented their favourite star in the movie. 

Despite overwhelming criticism against Adipurush, the movie has managed to rake in over Rs 200 crore within two days of its release.