Manoj Muntashir: Adipurush Music Was Devotional, Not Nursery Rhymes

Manoj Muntashir, the writer and lyricist for the 2023 film Adipurush, has strongly defended its musical score amidst renewed comparisons with the upcoming Nitesh Tiwari-directed Ramayana. Admitting that Adipurush was a "very bad film" and its dialogues were "even worse," Muntashir asserted that the film's songs were composed with genuine devotion and poetic sensibility.

The controversy resurfaced recently when Muntashir shared a song from Adipurush, coinciding with the release of "Mangal Rang" from the new Ramayana film. He countered criticism by stating, "I didn't write nursery rhymes for Ram, nor qawwalis." He emphasized that while he has apologized numerous times for the dialogues of Adipurush and received forgiveness from devotees, the songs should be judged independently.

Adipurush, released in June 2023, faced significant backlash for its dialogues, visual effects, and character portrayals, leading to box-office failure and subsequent dialogue revisions. Meanwhile, Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor, is set for a November 5, 2026 release, with its musical score by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer receiving initial mixed reactions.