No Indian movie in Kathmandu amid row over Adipurush’s ‘Sita India’s daughter’ dialogue

Adipurush is facing flak at home and abroad with the makers agreeing to change some of the dialogues. But now Kathmandu mayor Balen Shah announced on his social media that no Indian movie will be shown in the Kathmandu Metropolitan area and all theatres have been informed about this ban.

A day before the release of the movie, the mayor gave three days’ time to remove the statemen’Sita is the daughter of India’. The mayor also threatened to ban all Indian movies if the dialogue is not edited out within three days. On Friday, Adipurush did not release in Kathmandu, while reports claimed that the makers agreed to edit the dialogue. Kathmandu mayor demanded that the dialogue should be corrected not only for Nepal but also for India.

On Sunday, Balen Shah said all Indian movies will remain banned in Kathmandu Metropolitan until the ‘objectionable’ part is removed. Nepal’s film certification board said that the permission to screen the film in theatres will be granted only after changing the dialogue that describes “Sita as India’s daughter”.

“Indian film ‘Adipurush’ has dialogue claiming Janaki was India’s daughter. This is objectionable and we had given a three-day ultimatum (to the makers) to correct it. There is no doubt that it is the first duty of every government, government agency, and non-governmental sector and Nepali citizens to protect the national interest by keeping Nepal and its freedom, independence and self-respect intact,” Balen Shah wrote

“If the film is shown as it is, it seems that Nepal’s nationality, cultural unity and national identity will be severely damaged and irreparable damage will be done. Due to cultural encroachment on Nepal from that movie, this metropolitan city has attracted serious attention,” Shah added

“If the film is allowed to be shown in other areas within the country and abroad, it will establish a misleading fact, so it is prohibited to show any Indian film in the Kathmandu metropolitan city until the objectionable parts are removed from the said film,” the mayor wrote.

Adipurush has been facing flak in India too for hurting Hindu sentiments by putting ‘cheap’ dialogues in the mouth of Hindu deities. Writer Manoj Muntashir on Sunday announced that those dialogues which the audience found objectionable will be revised. Earlier however, he said he intentionally kept the dialogues simple.

Opposition leaders slammed the BJP for Adipurush as the makers thanked several BJP leaders including chief ministers for the movie.