A petitioner has filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court, seeking the removal of objectionable scenes depicting religious leaders/characters/figures in the upcoming film Adipurush. The petitioner, Gupta, filed the petition as a public interest litigation under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution, requesting the court to direct the respondents to remove the scenes and restrain the film’s certification for public exhibition. Gupta alleges that the film has portrayed Hindu religious leaders/characters inaccurately and inappropriately, causing hurt to the sentiments of the Hindu community.
The petition specifically mentions the depiction of Ravana, Lord Ram, Mata Sita, and Hanuman in Adipurush, stating that it contradicts the image and descriptions of these religious figures as depicted in the ancient texts of Maharishi Valmiki’s Ramayana and Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas. Gupta claims to have previously submitted a representation to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary on October 4, 2022, expressing concerns about the film but has not received a response.
The petitioner argues that the writ petition has been filed on behalf of the public, who may need more means or legal knowledge to approach the court independently. Adipurush, directed by Om Raut and produced by Bhushan Kumar, features Prabhas as Lord Ram, Kriti Sanon as Sita, Sunny Singh as Lakshman, and Saif Ali Khan in the role of Ravan.