Controversy Erupts in Nepal over the Portrayal of Janaki (Sita) as the Daughter of India in Movie Adipurush

After Janaki (Sita) was referred to as the daughter of India in the movie Adipurush, a controversy has arisen in Nepal. There has been a voice on social media calling for a film boycott, and support has grown for the demand to correct the wording not only in Nepal but also in screenings in India and other countries.

Balendra Shah ‘Balen’, the mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality, has announced on social media that he will not permit any Hindi film to be screened in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City until the dialogue ‘Janaki is the daughter of India’, featured in the South Indian movie Adipurush, is removed not only in Nepal but also in India. A three-day deadline has been given to make this correction.

Balen’s announcement has garnered support from the Nepali people. Balen’s Twitter post has been retweeted over 2,000 times in six hours, while the Facebook post has been shared more than 38,000 times. With over 61,000 comments received on the Facebook post, the majority of them have expressed support for Balen’s announcement.

Prior to this, the film’s censorship in Nepal was granted after the film’s production team agreed to remove the dialogue ‘Janaki is the daughter of India’ from the screenings in Nepal. The production team made this decision after the Censor Board refused to issue the film a certificate due to objectionable dialogue.

Even though this dialogue will not be shown in the film screened in Nepal, Nepalis have opposed it because the dialogue will still be present in the screenings in India and other countries. This movie, set to be released worldwide on Friday, has already begun screening in the USA on Thursday. Janaki (Sita) is the main character in the Ramayana and other adaptations of the Ramayana, such as Ramcharitmanas. Janaki was the eldest daughter of King Janaka of Mithila. The Ramayana mentions that her marriage with Ram, the eldest son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, occurred after Ram broke Shiva’s bow at the Swayamvara.

Janaki (Sita), the wife of Lord Maryada Purushottam Rama, is a religious figure, daughter-in-law of Adarshraja Dasaratha, and daughter of Rajshi Janak. She is considered a dignified daughter of Nepal. Regarded as an ideal wife, mother, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, empress, and overall, an ideal woman, Janaki (Sita) is a daughter of Nepal and is considered a national treasure in the country.

In terms of other aspects of the movie, controversies have also arisen in India. Some individuals have protested, stating that Hanuman salutes Sanatan with folded hands and bows down. Similarly, some people have objected to Rama being referred to as Adipurusha. Adipurusha means the primitive man or the first man, but some people argue that he is not a primitive man but rather Maryadapurushottam. Additionally, some individuals have demanded a boycott of the movie in India because it depicts an open romance during the characters’ exile.