Adipurush beats Pathaan with $18 million at box office despite backlash

Based on the Ramayana, Om Raut's film has received mixed reviews and been criticised for its portrayal of Hindu deities

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  Adipurush has brought in $18 million at box offices worldwide, outpacing Shah Rukh Khan's hit Pathaan. All Photos: T-Series

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  Written and directed by Om Raut, the film is based on the Ramayana Sanskrit epic

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  Adipurush was shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu and stars Prabhas as Raghava, Kriti Sanon as his wife, Janaki, and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh

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  While some have praised the film's marriage of India's north and south film industries, others have criticised its visual effects

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  The Indian organisation Hindu Sena has filed a petition demanding it be banned over its depiction of Hindu deities and culture

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  The release in Nepal was also delayed after Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah took issue with the film presenting Janaki, or Sita, as the 'daughter of India' rather than the 'daughter of Nepal'

The Indian mythological film Adipurush has raked in 150 crore ($18 million) worldwide and 90 crore domestically (nearly $11 million), to score one of the country’s best post-pandemic box office openers.

Written and directed by Om Raut, the film – based on the Ramayana Sanskrit epic – was shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu and stars Prabhas as Raghava, Kriti Sanon as his wife, Janaki, and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh.

Released on Friday, it even outpaced the smash Shah Rukh Khan hit Pathaan to become the biggest opener of the year.

However, it has received a mixed reception. Some have praised its marriage of the North and South Indian film industries, as well as its soundtrack, with one Twitter user saying it gave them “goosebumps”.

Others, however, have criticised its visual effects and said its three-hour run time dragged on. One added: “The Bollywood-TikTok crossover you never knew you needed, with haircuts that defy gravity and dialogues that'll make you cringe and chuckle."

Indian organisation Hindu Sena has filed a petition demanding it be banned over its depiction of Hindu deities and culture.

Hindu Sena president Vishnu Gupta filed a public interest litigation on Friday claiming the film “hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community by depicting the religious leaders/characters/figures in an inaccurate and inappropriate manner”.

The film also caused a stir in Nepal, where the release was delayed after Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah took issue with the film presenting Janaki, or Sita, as the “daughter of India” rather than the “daughter of Nepal”.

The mayor wrote on Facebook: "Until the line 'Janaki is a daughter of India' contained in Adipurush is removed not just in Nepal but also in India, no Hindi films will be allowed to run in Kathmandu Metropolitan City.”

Reports indicate that the Nepal Censor Board has reversed its initial ban on the film, after the dialogue in question was removed, but early screenings were said to have been cancelled over security concerns.