If the makers of the much-anticipated film Adipurush expected a big reaction while releasing its teaser on October 2, they have certainly got one. The 1.46-minute-long video clip has seemingly set social media afire for days, receiving massive backlash over a range of perceived flaws.
In an exclusive and exhaustive conversation with CNN-News18, the film’s director Om Raut and dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir finally answered the barrage of criticisms that has come their way, maintaining that the motion picture is a representation of their “bhakti and shraddha" for the Ramayana.
“We expected a very positive response, to be honest. It is kind of mixed. There are a lot of people who are saying good things about it. There are some people who are not, and there are some differences in their minds. This has been a journey, I must say," said Raut.
The filmmaker said that he approached Muntashir to write the dialogue for Adipurush because of the love they share for Lord Ram. “Your research and study and knowledge of the literature, of the greatest Indian literature Ramayana, is extremely high, we all know that," Raut said to the recent National Award recipient.
Not even 1 per cent of the film is a deviation from the Ramayana, said Muntashir.
Speaking about the controversy over Saif Ali Khan’s so-called “Islamised" look as ‘Lankesh’ Ravana, Raut said, “He is demonic. He is a person who is the greatest villain of all time. He’s a ten-headed demon and you will have to see the film to actually understand that particular point."
He added that for them, the film was a mission and passion. “The demonic image of today’s generation of today’s time is the one I have tried to translate onto screen correctly. We are making this film for the next generation. The idea behind this film is to take our great holy script, our Ramayana to the next generation. and not only the next generation but for the world to see."
Ravana as a character has to be intimidating, he said. “And in order to make him intimidating, there is a certain visual, a certain image that comes to mind, which we tried to capture through our imagination. But definitely, that has got nothing to do with any Khiljis of the world, Nadir Shahs of the world, Genghis Khans of the world, Babars of the world. Not at all remotely is there a connection between them," said Raut.
At the same time, he added, every era has its villains and heroes. “So in today’s times, people perceive Alauddin Khilji as a villain. So it is very understandable, when they look at Ravana, the greatest villain of all time, they might see glimpses of Khilji, they might see glimpses of Kans also, they might see glimpses of Duryodhan also, they might see glimpses of Genghis Khan also," the filmmaker argued.
The Ramayana is understood by different generations in different ways, said Raut. “In fact, even in your own life, at a younger age you understand a different Ramayana, as you grow older, every time you visit it again, you understand different aspects, and learn new things from it. It’s an epic that can never be completely understood by any human in their entire life. So that’s my thought on the other side. Now, if you talk about the visualisation, and not commenting on Dipika (Chikhlia)’s statement, because I haven’t heard it, that is the representation that I feel should be done as an artist because, when I talk about the visuals and the treatment, it is because the generation that is consuming content today, today’s India and today’s global generation, they are consuming content that is a Marvel film, which is a DC film, which is Harry Potter, which is Lord of the Rings. So many of these films are consumed by these youngsters. And if I want to take my Ramayana, my Prabhu Ram’s story to them, then I have to speak to them in their language."
He also praised artists from across the nation who have kept alive the tradition of Ramlila. “This is a mission that is going on for decades and it will go on for eternity. We are lucky humans, we were chosen to climb onto this bus that is moving. And we will step down after a few stops, and the bus will continue, and someone else will hop onto it…Ramayana is much larger than your or my lifetime."
In recent times, there has been a growing feeling among some sections of society that Bollywood has been playing with the sentiments of Hindus, not depicting the culture and faith in the right way.
“Om Raut and Manoj Muntashir are not standing in that path. Take my word on it," said Muntashir. “I don’t know what Bollywood has done in the past, and I have been both vocal and fearless about it. But yes, a lot of disservice has been done by the Hindi film industry to the idea of Sanatana Dharma. It has happened in the past. But we have made films like Tanhaji that have glorified our history. So, both good and bad have happened. Bollywood isn’t sacrosanct, of course. Mistakes have happened, and probably people have intentionally done so. But who are we? We are people who don’t care about the world when it comes to protecting our dharma. How can somebody even imagine that Manoj can pick up a pen and write something that blemishes the character of Ram?"
Trust us, urged Raut. “The audience is everything to us. From sages to people saying anything to us, we are noting everything down. We want to say that we will not disappoint anyone when the film releases," he said. “We have seen only 90 seconds of the film, and I want to repeat that when the entire film comes out in January, people won’t be disappointed."
Read all the Latest Movies News and Breaking News here
Comments
0 comment