20th June 2023, Mumbai: Amidst high expectations, Om Raut’s magnum opus Adipurush experiences a significant setback at the box office, as well as in public sentiment. The film, which garnered immense attention for its retelling of the Ramayana, faced severe criticism, protests, and bans, resulting in a decline in its collection on Monday.
Adipurush witnessed a dramatic drop in earnings, managing to collect only ₹20 crore on its fourth day. This decline follows an impressive weekend performance, where the film accumulated ₹220 crore in India alone. As the weekend unfolded, Adipurush demonstrated its financial prowess, amassing a staggering ₹86 crore on Friday, gracefully followed by a notable ₹65 crore on Saturday and a commendable ₹69 crore on Sunday. Its worldwide earnings stand at ₹340 crore, although figures for Monday’s global collection are yet to be released. Taran Adarsh took to Twitter to announce the film’s unfortunate turn, describing it as a ‘crash.’ He wrote, “THE NEGATIVE WORD OF MOUTH HAS COME INTO PLAY… After a strong opening weekend, Adipurush COLLAPSES on Monday. Hindi version.
The backlash against Adipurush intensified on Monday, as protests erupted in multiple cities, leading to the banning of all Hindi films in Nepal. Critics targeted the film’s dialogues, colloquial language, and representation of certain characters from the epic. Seers in Ayodhya demanded an immediate ban, expressing their outrage over the dialogue content. Varanasi witnessed a protest where posters of the film were torn, while Mathura saw a Hindu outfit staging demonstrations outside a theater. In response to the escalating situation, dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla requested security from the Mumbai Police. As tensions mounted, Mumbai Police agreed to provide protection to Shukla. The Hindu Mahasabha lodged a police complaint in Lucknow against the film’s makers and actors, although no formal case has been registered yet.
By Yashika Desai.