Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming directorial Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, has stirred controversy following the recent release of its official trailer. The Shri Ramlila Mahasangh, representing various prominent Ramlila committees across Old Delhi, has formally written to the film's producers demanding an exclusive pre-release screening.
The organisation warned that failure to comply would trigger widespread protests outside cinema halls across Delhi and other states.
Delhi Ramlila Demands Screening Of Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana Before Release
Arjun Kumar, president of the Shri Ramlila Mahasangh and the Lav Kush Ramlila at the Red Fort grounds, voiced strong reservations regarding the trailer's tone, characterisation, and costume choices. He highlighted concerns about preserving the sacred character of Lord Ram on screen.
Detailing the group's objections, Arjun Kumar stated, "In this new film’s trailer, there is no emotion visible in Sri Ram. How can Shri Ram, who always lived with dignity, be shown taking a pledge and getting angry to kill someone! Also, the same actor, Ranbir Kapoor, is promoting sale of land in Ayodhya in a commercial advertisement and here he is portraying Shri Ram. Will Ram ever sell Ayodhya’s land?"
He further added, "We have been staging Ramayana for around 50 years now and do not feel the dresses used in the film’s trailer are suitable to portray Ramayana characters. We have objections to all these things that could be rejected by the viewers after the film releases."
Citing the fallout surrounding the 2023 film Adipurush, Arjun Kumar recalled how the producers promoted the movie at their Red Fort Ramlila grounds before face-off controversies over costume choices and historical inaccuracy emerged.
Arjun Kumar additionally said, "The film showed golden Lanka as black Lanka made of coal and even the Ramayana were dressed in costumes that apparently used leather like how the Mughals wore. That hurt people's sentiments and hence the picture flopped even though it was a mega budget film."
Demand For Ramayana Pre-Release Screening
Clarifying their stance, the organisation stated that they do not intend to issue official censor certificates, but rather aim to protect religious sentiments globally and prevent cinematic failures surrounding epic texts.
Addressing the rationale behind their demand, Kumar noted, "We are making the demand to see the film before release because it should not flop like the ones made on Ramayana before it because if films made on a great book like Ramayana flop again and again, thena negative message goes through it to the society because our films are watched not only in India but globally"
The public relations team for the filmmakers stated that they are yet to issue an official response regarding the screening request.