Explained: Why Nepal Capital Has Banned All Indian Films Amid 'Adipurush' Row

Nepal has urged the filmmakers to remove the section of the film that refers to Sita as the “daughter of India”.

Prabhas and Kriti Sanon in the poster for Adipurush.

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram)

On 18 June, Balendra Shah, mayor of Nepal capital Kathmandu, ordered theatres to stop the screening of all Indian films – and issued an 'ultimatum' to the makers of Adipurush. After Kathmandu, even Pokhara saw a similar ban.

While in India, Adipurush has created a furore among several sections of viewers over its shoddy VFX and crass dialogues, what about this film – inspired by the Indian epic Ramayana and starring Prabhas as Raghav (Ram) and Kriti Sanon as Janaki (Sita) – has irked Nepal?

What Has the Mayor of Kathmandu Alleged?

Balendra Shah has urged the makers of Adipurush to remove the section of the film that refers to Sita as the “daughter of India”. He has alleged that the dialogue is misleading – and any screening of the film will cause “irreparable damage”.

Sita’s birthplace has been disputed for a while, with some believing that she was born in Nepal’s Janakpur, the kingdom of her father King Janak, and others believing that her birthplace is in a district in Bihar. 

Note: The translation mentions '2 days' whereas Shah has mentioned a time period of '3 days'.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

Sita is often referred to using several other names, including Vaidehi, Bhumija, Maithili, and Janaki. The latter comes from her relation to King Janak and his kingdom is said to be situated in Janakpur. Janakpur is where the famous Janaki Mandir, dedicated to Sita, stands. 

Speaking about the film, Shah said, “Three days ago, we had called upon the makers of Adipurush to remove the objectionable section that shows Janaki as an Indian woman. If the film is shown as it is, it seems that severe damage will be inflicted upon Nepal’s nationality, cultural unity, and national identity.”

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

“If the film is allowed to be shown in the other areas of the country and abroad by prohibiting the showing of the said film (that is) against national interest, it will establish a misleading fact. So, it’s prohibited to show any Indian film in the Kathmandu metropolitan city until the objectionable parts are removed from the said film.”

Balendra Shah on social media (roughly translated)

Police personnel were reportedly deployed across theatres in Nepal to ensure no Indian films are screened. 

What Did Police Personnel in Nepal Say?

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Police Chief Raju Pandey said that the police visited several theatres in Kathmandu on Sunday, 18 June, and got a “positive response”.

He further told PTI, “While monitoring QFX Hall at Civil Mahal in Kathmandu... they said they will show Nepali and English movies instead of Hindi ones. We will not allow screening of Hindi movies until the KMC authority gives permission.”

The History of Bollywood in Kathmandu (And Nepal at Large)

Bollywood and Indian cinema has had a widespread appeal in Nepal for decades. Ever since the 1960s, several Indian cinema stars became household names in Nepal as well as the likes of Guru Dutt, Nargis, and Madhubala found an audience in the country. As times changed, these stars gave way to recognition for Dev Anand, Rakhee, Nutan, Dilip Kumar, and Zeenat Aman, among others. Like with any audience, cinema also influenced fashion. 

This inclination to Indian cinema hasn’t changed significantly, with several Bollywood films earning big bucks at the Nepal box office along with domestic releases like Chhakka Panja 4.

Films like Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, KGF: Chapter 2, Dangal, Sultan, and PK performed extremely well in Nepal. 

In 2011, the Nepal Tourism Board had announced it was organising a "Bollywood Night" in Kathmandu. Chhatra Bhatta, the event coordinator, had said that the programme would help the Nepalese tourism industry and Bollywood, considering Nepal is one of the biggest markets for Indian films, Economic Times had reported. 

Indian Films and Past Controversy in Nepal

Back in 2000, riots were triggered across Nepal after a rumour spread that Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan had said that he ‘hated’ the people of Nepal. Theatres screening the actor’s films were attacked and four people were killed in police firing.

The actor vehemently denied the accusation. He had told STAR News then, “I can name all the interviews I have given. All the tapes are there for anyone to see anytime,” adding, “I have never spoken against Nepal or the Nepalese people, whom I love.”

Amid the riots, the then Minister for Communication and Information Jay Prakash Gupta had said that the government had directed theatres across Nepal to stop screening the actor’s films to prevent further violence, ABC News had reported. 

In 2012, the Community Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) had issued a ban against the screening of Hindi films for 10 days to protest what they saw as India’s growing influence on the nation.

A party spokesperson had then told AFP, “We are fighting for equal treatment. Be it small or big, both Nepal and India are sovereign countries,” further alleging that Bollywood films portray the people of Nepal as “lowly security guards and helpers”.

“Such portrayals humiliate us. They hurt our sentiments,” she had said. Hindustan Times had reported that the party had imposed a ban to ‘safeguard national sovereignty’ and ‘promote a self-reliant economy’ in Nepal.

The publication had further quoted Ashok Sarma, the managing director of Digital Cinema, as saying that theatres incurred losses of Nepalese rupee 2.5 crore during the temporary ban.