Apology Extended: Adipurush makers seek lift of ban after Nepali Mayor expresses disappointment

Om Raut's Adipurush has been the topic of conversation; since its release on June 16, the film has faced significant criticism on social media. The main points of contention revolve around the poor quality of the visual effects (VFX) and the dialogue in the movie.

One particular issue that arose was the incorrect reference to Sita's birthplace in the film. Balen Shah, the Mayor of Kathmandu, Nepal, voiced his concerns over this matter and threatened to ban Indian films in Kathmandu as a response. Despite this threat, the makers of Adipurush did not make any changes to the film.

Subsequently, on Sunday, Balen Shah announced the ban on Indian films in Kathmandu, including Adipurush, expressing his disappointment. In response to this, the makers of Adipurush issued an apology letter to Balen Shah, seeking the lifting of the ban.

The apology letter acknowledged the possibility of hurting the sentiments of the people of Nepal and expressed regret for any unintended offence caused. The filmmakers clarified that it was never their intention to create disharmony and explained the intention behind Prabhas' dialogue in reference to Sita. 

A part of the letter read, "At the outset, we would like to apologize if we have hurt the sentiments of the people of Nepal in any way… It was never intentional or deliberate to cause disharmony for anyone." They also wrote about Prabhas' dialogue in reference to Sita and explained the intention behind it. It further read, "As Indians, the respect of women all over the world is of the utmost importance to us. We request you to view the film in its artistic form and support the intention of reaching out to a larger audience to create interest in our history." 

For the unversed, Balen Shah had specifically mentioned the dialogue "Janaki is a daughter of India" as objectionable in his previous note. The controversy surrounding this dialogue relates to the characterization of Sita, a revered figure in Hindu mythology and Nepalese culture, and the portrayal of her national identity.