Nepal’s capital Kathmandu will ban all Hindi-language film screenings from Monday over “offensive” remarks
Posted Date – 11:59 PM, Sunday – 6/18/23
Kathmandu: Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, announced on Sunday that all Hindi-language films will be banned from screening over “offensive” remarks and depictions of Sita in the mythological epic film Adipurush.
Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah has defended the banning of all Hindi-language films in the Kathmandu metropolitan area, saying showing the film Adipurush without deleting one of its dialogues would cause “irreparable damage”.
“From Monday, June 19, all Hindi-language films will be banned from screening in Kathmandu Metropolis because offensive words in the dialogue of the film ‘Adipurush’ have not been removed,” Shah said in his Facebook post.
“We had given notice three days ago to remove the offensive part of the ‘Sita is India’s daughter’ dialogue from the film within three days,” he said.
If they allow the film to be screened, it will help “establish a distorted truth,” Shah said.
He said it would “cause irreparable damage to our national, cultural unity” and “strike our national heroes”. The Shah seems determined to stop showing all Hindi films currently showing in all 17 cinemas in the capital.
“In accordance with the directive issued by KMC, all cinemas in Kathmandu will stop showing Indian films from Monday,” KMC spokesman Nabin Manandhar said.
“We have cooperated with cinema owners in Kathmandu and they have agreed to voluntarily stop showing Hindi films in Metropolitan Kathmandu from Monday,” he said.
Cinemas may show Nepali films instead of Hindi films starting Monday, he added.
Adipurush opens in India on Friday and stars Prabhas as Raghav (Ram), Kriti Sanon as Janaki (Sita) and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh (Raavan).
The conversation about Sita isn’t the only problem Adipurush has with viewers. In India, the film was criticized for its poor visual effects, offensive dialogue and below-average performances from its actors.
Adipurush dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla said on Sunday that makers of the mythic epic had decided to “rework some of the dialogue” after the film was heavily criticized for its bland language.
Meanwhile, the film is booming and is expected to earn over Rs 10 lakh. One billion visitors in India in the first weekend.
Production banner T-Series said the Om Raut-directed film grossed Rs 1 billion globally in its second day of release.
“Adipurush continues to captivate audiences all over the world, exceeding expectations with a skyrocketing 140 CR on day 1 and an additional 100 CR on day 2, bringing the total collection to a staggering 240 CR in just two days! Jai Shri Ram,” T-Series said in a statement posted on its official Twitter page.
The film was released in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil.
