The Kathmandu Mayor’s Secretariat has announced a ban on Indian movies in the city, with police deployed to ensure that film theaters comply by not screening any films made in India. The decision to ban Indian films, including the recently released film Adipurush, comes amidst a heated controversy surrounding the depiction of Sita’s place of birth. Protestors strongly argue that Sita was born in Nepal, while the film portrays her as being born in India.
Mayor Balen Shah had previously issued a warning to the filmmakers, stating that all Indian films would be banned in Kathmandu unless the reference to Sita’s place of birth was removed. This recent ban is seen as a radical move by the Mayor’s office to enforce this demand. All 17 film halls in the city have been instructed not to screen Indian films, according to the Secretariat.
BREAKING NEWS!! Kathmandu Metropolitan City BANS the release of HINDI FILMS following the #Adipurush fiasco… All the theatres in the #Kathmandu valley have been asked to NOT RELEASE any Hindi film from tomorrow… More details awaited!
— Rahul Raut (@Rahulrautwrites) June 18, 2023
In response to the controversy, the writer of Adipurush, Manoj Muntashir, clarified that Nepal was considered a part of India before 1903. Therefore, in the film, Janak’s daughter (Sita) is depicted as being born in India based on historical perspectives.
Here’s how people reacted to the news:
All Indian films actually.
— Rahul Raut (@Rahulrautwrites) June 18, 2023
India se to better Nepal hai …straight banned the trash film while in India people r still trying to defend its content!
— Pooh (@ThodaYehThodaWo) June 18, 2023
Good decision
— Rajdeep Sarkar 🇮🇳🇮🇱 (@rajdeep_sarkar) June 18, 2023
This had to happen, Adipursh it’s that bad.
— Mohammed Asif Ahmed (@iAsifMe) June 18, 2023
The reason behind this that they shown Sita as daughter of India but didn’t mention about Janakpur (Mithila) which is now in Nepal. This is the controversy actually.
— Rose Creations (@RoseCreations__) June 18, 2023
Superb decision.. I hope india follows ..
— Dr.Rony mazumder (@satyajith123) June 18, 2023
Awesome decision 👏👏👏👏
— Sudhiip Sama (@sudhiipsama) June 18, 2023
How much money did @TSeries pay to compromise the integrity of our religion? Hindu sentiments cannot be bought. Money isn’t the answer to everything. If everything was fine, why would @TSeries alter the dialogue of movies? It’s disgraceful that some critics support a…
— Mike Mehta (@AlphalepordMike) June 18, 2023
Even Nepal has more courage than us..
— Amit Singh (@ER_amitksingh) June 18, 2023
The ban on Indian films in Kathmandu raises questions about artistic expression, cultural sensitivities, and the complexities of historical interpretations. It highlights the challenges of presenting mythological or historical narratives that are deeply rooted in different cultures and beliefs.
In the midst of Nepal banning Adipurush and other Bollywood movies, Adipurush failed to live up to the hype. The movie has been heavily criticized for misinformation, wrong portrayal, bad VFX, and shitty dialogues. (ALSO READ: Reasons Why People Are Demanding Boycott Of Adipurush)
Have you watched Adipurush? How did you like it?