Manoj Muntashir: Adipurush failed, but its songs didn’t

Lyricist and dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir has stopped short of defending Adipurush, the 2023 film that became one of Bollywood’s biggest misfires. Instead, he is drawing a firm line between the film—which he admits failed—and its songs, which he says were written with the devotion the subject demanded.

The latest flashpoint: on October 25, Muntashir shared Tu Hai Sheetal Dhara from Adipurush on X. That was the same day the team behind Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming Ramayana released its new track Mangal Rang. The timing was read by some fans as more than a coincidence, and it quickly revived the old backlash over the dialogue Muntashir had written for the Prabhas-starrer.

Muntashir did not let the comparison pass. Writing in Hindi on X, he rejected the idea that his post was a publicity-style stunt, and he used unusually blunt language about the film itself.

“Adipurush was a very bad film, the dialogues were even worse, but the songs – every child in the country sings them.”

He added that he has already apologised to Ram devotees for the dialogue many times and has been forgiven. But on the music, he was unyielding: “I didn’t write nursery rhymes for Ram, nor qawwalis.” In his telling, the songs contained no shortage of devotion, dedication or poetry, and should not be challenged because the film around them failed.

Two Ramayanas, one unavoidable comparison

The episode matters because it arrives just as audiences are forming their first impressions of Ramayana Part One, which is due in cinemas on November 5, ahead of Diwali. The music, by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer, has drawn a mixed first response—some listeners were initially unsure before warming to it. That is not unusual for a big devotional release, but it is enough to keep the comparison with Adipurush alive.

• Adipurush (2023): directed by Om Raut, starring Prabhas as Ram, Kriti Sanon as Sita and Saif Ali Khan as Raavan; criticised for dialogues, VFX and characterisation.
• Ramayana Part One: directed by Nitesh Tiwari, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita; planned as a two-parter with Part Two around Diwali 2027.

Why Muntashir’s defence is worth hearing

There is a useful framework here for fans: a film can fail at the level of screenplay and dialogue while its music still connects. That does not erase the film’s problems, but it does explain why Adipurush tracks continue to play in public spaces tied to the Ramayana, as Muntashir claims. The reverse is also true—strong music cannot rescue a film if the writing and characterisation do not work.

For our audience, the practical takeaway is simple. Before Ramayana Part One arrives, play Tu Hai Sheetal Dhara and Mangal Rang side by side. Ask whether each song carries bhakti on its own, not whether it matches the film you have already decided you like or dislike. That is the test Muntashir is asking for, and it is a fair one.

Source: India Today