Screenwriter Apurva Asrani says he won’t be surprised if people are thrown into Tihar jail for disliking Ramayana
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Yash of late urged audiences not to nitpick the VFX in Ramayana and extend their full support to the much-awaited movie, which stars him as Ravana and Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama. Now, screenwriter Apurva Asrani, known for critically acclaimed films such as Shahid and Aligarh, seemingly criticised Yash's comments, comparing them to a sign of dictatorship.
Adding to this, Ramayana will rollout worldwide on November 5. ‘Won’t be surprised if they throw us in Tihar Jail for disliking the movie’ Apurva took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “I won’t be surprised if they throw us in friggin’ Tihar Jail for disliking the new Ramayana, refusing to bang a thali to solve the oil crisis, or daring to eat a chicken burger on a Tuesday. Maybe even for switching off the TV during the supreme leader’s speech.”
Meanwhile, Apurva went on to link Yash's comments to the India's current political climate. He also referred to the arrest of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who have been held in Delhi's Tihar Jail for allegedly trespassing and entering the Jantar Mantar protest site after it was removed from the list of authorised demonstration venues.
Notably, Apurva wrote, “That’s how far down the road to dictatorship India is sliding. Watching how Saurav & Ashutosh are being treated, it is sad to see how the Constitution of India has been reduced to a mockery. Raise your voice now, before even a joke, a question or the slightest disagreement becomes grounds for state retaliation.”
As per the latest buzz, At a recent Ramayana pre-rollout event in Hyderabad, Yash urged audiences to support the movie and refrain from nitpicking over its visual effects. He also shared India needed to protect filmmakers such as producer Namit Malhotra, who are striving to take Indian cinema to a global platform.
In further updates, Yash shared, “Anybody can dream of making a movie, but only a few people will have that kind of passion, dedication, determination and madness. As an Indian, I am telling you, we need to protect this guy. It's our responsibility because this man was comfortably doing business in LA. Every time I met him, he always spoke about one thing, ‘We all are doing so much and Indians have done so much, but we should do something for our Indian movie industry and I want to do it. I am getting Oscars, but I am not happy. I want our country to be placed at that level and that's the day I am going to be happy.’ This is what he told me.”
On top of that, Earlier, at Ramayana's trailer launch event in Bengaluru, Yash verified that the two-part epic has a combined budget of ₹ 4,000 crore rupees.
Vibha Maru is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Entertainment, based in Delhi. With a decade of experience across digital and print media, she covers Bollywood, Hollywood and web shows. A self-confessed cinephile who breathes Hindi cinema, Vibha can often be found sacrificing sleep after binge-watching films and web series. Though she holds a Commerce degree, she discovered her true calling in journalism after enrolling at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). She began her career covering Delhi's cultural scene, food, nightlife, concerts, and city life at The Times of India, before moving into full-time entertainment journalism with India Today. At India Today, Vibha interviewed some of the biggest names in Bollywood and television while carving a niche for herself through movie reviews, opinion pieces, nostalgic features, star interviews, and trend-driven stories. She later brought her storytelling and editorial expertise to The Indian Express, where she continued to deepen her understanding of cinema through long-form entertainment explainers, retrospectives and feature writing. Now, as Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times Entertainment, Vibha continues to chronicle the world of movies and pop culture. Her work spans breaking entertainment news, exclusive interviews, star features, and stories that capture the conversations shaping Indian cinema. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times