Manoj Muntashir, the lyricist and dialogue writer of ‘Adipurush’, has responded to comparisons between his film’s music and the songs of ‘Ramayana’ Part 1. The ‘Ramayana’ songs, composed by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer, have drawn mixed reactions, with many first criticising and then praising them.
What Manoj Muntashir said
Reacting on X to a report on the backlash to ‘Mangal Rang’, Manoj Muntashir said people were being reminded of the “stunts” in ‘Adipurush’. He wrote in Hindi, “Manoj Muntashir-style stunt? The country’s self-proclaimed best news channel has said something as ignorant as the illiterate masses.”He added, “My brother, I wish my stunt had been repeated in the songs of the Ramayana. Adipurush was a very bad film; the dialogues were even worse, but the songs—every child in the country sings them. Go to Shri Ayodhya sometime, and you’ll hear nothing but Adipurush songs playing in every alley.”
Manoj Muntashir says, ‘There was no lack of devotion’
Manoj said the music of his film was made with sincerity. “The mistake I made, I’ve apologised to the Ram devotees for it countless times, and forgiveness was granted, but don’t challenge the songs. There was no lack of devotion, dedication, or poetry in them. I didn’t write nursery rhymes for Ram nor qawwalis. People ahead are wise; they know who’s worth what. Jai Shri Ram,” he wrote.
A look back at ‘Adipurush’
Released in 2023, ‘Adipurush’ was panned by critics and disliked by audiences and went on to become Bollywood’s biggest box-office bomb. The film featured Prabhas as Lord Rama, Kriti Sanon as Sita and Saif Ali Khan as Ravana, with music by Ajay-Atul. Made on a huge budget of Rs 550 crore, it began strongly but suffered from negative word of mouth. Its run ended more than Rs 200 crore short of breaking even. The film was also hit by controversies over its dialogues and the portrayal of Ravana and Lord Rama.
About ‘Ramayana’
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, ‘Ramayana’ is a two-part film starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita. Part One arrives worldwide on November 5, just before Diwali. The second part is expected around Diwali 2027.
