‘Adipurush’ Faces Backlash, Court Criticism, and Declining Box Office Collections

The recent release of ‘Adipurush,’ featuring Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, and Saif Ali Khan, has been met with significant backlash and controversy. Amidst the ongoing criticism, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has strongly reprimanded both the censor board and the makers of ‘Adipurush.’

During a hearing on a plea challenging the film’s contentious dialogues, the court questioned the effectiveness of the censor board, asking, “What is it that the censor board keeps doing? What do you want to teach the future generations?” The plea raised objections to the portrayal of the characters Ravana and Lord Hanuman in the directorial venture by Om Raut, claiming that they were “completely divorced from the Indian civilization.” Furthermore, the plea criticized the dialogues in the film, describing them as “ridiculous,” “low standard,” and “cheap.”

In response to the mounting backlash, the makers of ‘Adipurush’ recently decided to reduce ticket prices to Rs 150 for Thursday and Friday shows. This move followed a significant drop in the film’s box office collections on Monday and Tuesday, coinciding with the growing criticism surrounding the movie.

Additionally, the filmmakers have addressed the controversy by modifying the contentious lines in the film. In the Lanka Dahan scene, in which Bajrangbali’s character delivers the dialogue, “Tel tere baap ka. Aag bhi tere baap ki. Aur jalegi bhi tere baap ki” (The oil belongs to your father. The fire also belongs to your father. And it will burn for your father), drew strong backlash from netizens. However, in the revised prints, the dialogue has been altered, replacing the word ‘baap’ (father) with ‘Lanka.’

Despite these efforts to address the concerns, ‘Adipurush’ has struggled to attract audiences to cinemas, resulting in a continuous decline in its box office collections. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film faced a setback with a mere collection of Rs 1.75 crore nett on the second Monday.

The future of ‘Adipurush’ at the box office remains uncertain, as the film grapples with negative reception, court criticism, and diminishing audience interest. The ongoing controversies surrounding the film’s content and dialogue choices have undoubtedly impacted its performance, raising significant questions about its cultural portrayal.

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