Nitish Tiwari’s upcoming epic Ramayana has landed in fresh controversy after a prominent Ramlila organisation demanded a special screening before its theatrical release, warning of protests if its concerns are not addressed, writes Hindustan Times.
The request comes days after the film’s trailer was unveiled, with Ranbir Kapoor portraying Lord Ram.
Arjun Kumar, president of Shri Ramlila Mahasangh and Lav Kush Ramlila, Old Delhi, has written to the filmmakers requesting an advance screening to ensure that no scenes or dialogues hurt religious sentiments.
Speaking to HT City, Kumar questioned the portrayal of Lord Ram in the trailer.
“In the trailer, there is no emotion visible in Shri Ram. How can Shri Ram, who always lived with dignity, be shown taking a pledge and getting angry to kill someone?” he said.
He also objected to Ranbir Kapoor’s appearance in a commercial promoting land sales in Ayodhya while portraying Lord Ram.
“Will Ram ever sell Ayodhya’s land?” Kumar asked.
The organisation also expressed reservations about the costumes featured in the trailer, claiming they were not appropriate for characters from the Ramayana.
Kumar said his organisation has staged Ramlila performances for nearly 50 years and believes certain aspects of the film could be rejected by audiences.
He cited the backlash against Adipurush (2023), recalling that the film faced criticism over its depiction of Lanka, costumes and character portrayals.
According to Kumar, the organisation had earlier invited Prabhas to promote Adipurush at its Ramlila event, expecting a faithful adaptation, but later objected to several creative choices after its release.
Kumar clarified that the organisation is not seeking to censor the film but wants to ensure that scenes likely to hurt religious sentiments are addressed before release.
“We are not here to give any certificate,” he said.
“But if certain scenes hurt the sentiments of crores of Hindus, we will request the makers to remove them.”
He added that the demand for a pre-release screening is intended to help the film avoid the controversies that affected previous Ramayana-based adaptations.
The organisation warned that if the filmmakers do not arrange the requested screening, Shri Ramlila Mahasangh, along with several Hindu organisations, would organise protests outside cinema halls in Delhi and other parts of the country after the film’s release.
The makers of Ramayana have not responded publicly to the request. According to the report, the film’s PR team said no official statement has been issued so far.
