PIL against Prabhas-starrer 'Adipurush'; Allahabad HC seeks censor board's reply
What's the story
The Allahabad High Court's Lucknow Bench has issued a notice to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), seeking its reply on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against the upcoming film Adipurush by one Kuldeep Tiwari.
A bench of Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice BR Singh passed the order. The next hearing on the matter will be held on February 21.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Since the teaser of Adipurush was released in October 2022, the film found itself in the midst of multiple controversies alleging the wrong portrayal of several characters, including that of Lord Hanuman and Ravana.
Earlier, a case was also filed against actors Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan, among others, in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur, following a complaint by advocate Himanshu Shrivastav.
Details
Promo released without obtaining CBFC's certificate, claims PIL
Tiwari, through his PIL, claimed that the makers of Adipurush did not obtain CBFC's certificate before releasing its promo. He further alleged that skipping the certification is a clear violation of the rules.
The petition also raised objections to actor Kriti Sanon's costumes in the film. Sanon will be seen playing the role of Goddess Sita in Adipurush.
Objections
Other objections raised in PIL
The PIL raised several other objections to the film as well. It said that Lord Ram and Goddess Sita had been shown against the belief of people in the movie's teaser.
It also said that the look of Ravana was objectionable. While the actors have been made parties in the PIL, the director and producer have been made respondents.
Release
'Adipurush' was to release in Janaury
Previously, director Om Raut's magnum opus was slated for a January 2023 release. However, the makers decided to push its release date to June 16.
"In order to give a complete visual experience to the viewers, we need to give more time to the teams working on the film," Raut wrote in a social media post in November last year.
Cast
Everything to know about 'Adipurush'
Helmed by Raut, Adipurush stars Prabhas as Lord Ram/Raghava, Sanon as Goddess Sita/Janaki, and Saif Ali Khan as Lord Ravana. It also features Sunny Singh as Lakshman and Devdatta Nage as Lord Hanuman.
Backed by Retrophiles and Bhushan Kumar's T-Series, it's reportedly made on a budget of more than Rs. 550 crore. It is touted to be one of the most expensive Indian films.