“Adipurush”, a big budget adaptation of the Ramayana, is already neck deep in controversy for multiple reasons - the depiction of Ravana and Hanuman and also its inferior visual effects

Four months from release and “Adipurush”, a big budget adaptation of the Ramayana, is already neck deep in controversy for multiple reasons —the depiction of Ravana and Hanuman and also its inferior visual effects. The 1.46-minute teaser of the movie, directed by Om Raut of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior fame, was launched on Sunday in Ayodhya. And the blowback was immediate.

Fronted by Baahubali star Prabhas who features in the title role as Lord Ram, the multilingual period saga sees Saif Ali Khan play the role of a 10-headed demon king called Lankesh. With a beard, fierce eyes and a buzz cut, this Lankesh seems barbarism personified and many called out the filmmakers for the apparent Islamisation of Ravana.

The portrayal of Hanuman, with a beard, without a moustache and dressed in leather, also attracted criticism. As hashtags like #BoycottAdipurush and #BanAdipurush gained speed, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Tuesday warned the makers of the film of legal action if scenes showing Hindu religious figures in the “wrong” way were not removed.

Director Raut said he is “disheartened” by the reaction to the teaser. “I was disheartened but not surprised because the film is made for a larger medium. You can cut it down to some extent, but can’t bring it down to a mobile phone, that’s an environment I can’t control. If given a choice, I would have never uploaded it on YouTube but that’s the need of the hour. We need to put it there so that it reaches a wider audience,” Raut said.