Will revise dialogues that hurt sentiments: Adipurush dialogue writer

Though the opening day worldwide collections of Adipurush was around Rs 140 cr (gross), the film continues to be the source of criticism and trolls for its poor quality Vfx and dialogues. A large section of the audience have criticised the lines uttered by mythological figures with religious significance. For instance Hanuman’s lines like Kapda tere baap ka, aag tere baap ki, tel tere baap ka, jalegi bhi teri baap ki, etc., did receive heavy criticism. The use of modern-day slang like jali kya in a Ramayan-adaptation of film shocked many.

The film’s writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla explained why he chose to write it in such a style. In his latest interview to a television channel, Manoj clarified that it is not an error. He further shared that a ‘meticulous thought process’ has gone into writing the dialogues for Hanuman and other characters. “We wanted to make the writing simple because there are multiple characters in the film, and not all can speak the same language. There has to be a kind of diversion, a kind of division,” explains Manoj.

He further says that the same dialogues have also been used earlier by the saints and priests to narrate the epic. “I am not the first one to use such words, these lines are already there,” he elucidates.

Revised dialogues will be added soon

However, with the hue and cry not coming down, the makers have decided to ‘revise some of the dialogues after the film was criticised heavily for its pedestrian language. Shukla, who has penned the Hindi dialogues and songs of the retelling of the Ramayana, said the amended lines will be added to the film by this week.

“For me there is nothing greater than your feelings. I can give countless arguments in favour of my dialogues, but this will not lessen your pain. Me and the producer-director of the film have decided that we will revise some of the dialogues which are hurting you and they will be added to the film this week,” Shukla said in a statement shared on his official Twitter account.

Many viewers and political party leaders pointed out the oversimplified language used by the characters, especially Bajrang (Hanuman) played by Devdatta Nage. In his statement, which he wrote in Hindi, Shukla said it is possible that in a three-hour film he may have written ‘something different from your imagination for 3 minutes of duration’, but viewers shouldn’t hurry to label him as a Sanatan drohi.

The first lesson one can learn from Ramkatha is to respect every emotion. What is right or wrong changes with time, but the feeling is constant, he says. “I wrote more than 4,000 lines as dialogues in Adipurush, some sentiments got hurt on five of those lines. In those hundreds of lines, where Shri Ram was glorified, Maa Sita’s chastity was described, I was hoping to receive praise for them, which I don’t know why I did not get,” he added.

The writer-lyricist, who won the National Film Award for best lyrics in Saina, said he had no complaints with the audience. “If we stand against each other, Sanatan will lose. We have made Adipurush for Sanatan Seva, it’s a film which you are watching in large numbers and I believe you will watch in future as well.”