Lyricist Manoj Muntashir has defended the songs he wrote for the 2023 mythological film Adipurush, directed by Om Raut, while acknowledging the film's broader failures. Posting on social media platform X, Muntashir said he had sought forgiveness from Ram devotees 'countless times' for the mistakes associated with the project and had received it — but drew a firm line at criticism of his lyrics, calling them rooted in 'shraddha, samarpan aur kavitt' (devotion, dedication, and poetic brilliance).

What Muntashir Said on X

The lyricist's post came in apparent response to a television news channel's remarks comparing Adipurush's songs with those of the upcoming Ranbir Kapoor-headlined Ramayana Part 1. Muntashir took strong exception to what he described as an 'utterly ignorant' framing. 'Manoj Muntashir wala kaarnama? Badi jahilon jaisi baat ki hai desh ke swayamghoshit sarvashreshth news channel ne. Mere bhai, kaash Ramayan ke geeton mein mera wala kaarnama dohraya jaata,' he wrote — loosely translated: 'Manoj Muntashir's achievement? The country's self-proclaimed best news channel has said something utterly ignorant. My brother, I wish the same achievement of mine had been repeated in the songs of the Ramayana.'

Muntashir's Defence of the Songs

Conceding that Adipurush was a flawed film — 'Aadipurush bahut kharaab film thi, samvaad aur bhi kharaab the' ('Adipurush was a very bad film, and the dialogues were even worse') — he maintained that its songs transcended the film's shortcomings. He pointed to Ayodhya as evidence, claiming that 'every child in the country sings' the film's songs and that walking through the streets of 'Shri Ayodhyapuri', one can still hear them playing in every lane.

On the question of forgiveness, Muntashir was direct: 'Jo galti mujhse hui, maine uske liye anginat baar Ram bhakton se kshama maangi aur kshama mili bhi, lekin geeton ko challenge mat kariye. Unmein shraddha, samarpan aur kavitt ki koi kami nahi thi.' He added that he had written neither 'nursery rhymes' nor 'qawwalis' for Lord Ram, ending the post with 'Jai Shri Ram.'

The Adipurush Controversy in Context

Adipurush, starring Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon, Sunny Singh, and Devdutta Nage, was released in 2023 to a torrent of public criticism — particularly over its dialogues and visual effects — and went on to become a notable box office bomb. Muntashir, who penned the film's lyrics, had faced heat separately from those who objected to the film's depiction of Ramayana characters. His repeated public apologies at the time were widely noted.

The renewed debate now places Ramayana Part 1 — with its high-profile casting of Ranbir Kapoor — in direct contrast with Adipurush, raising the stakes for how a big-budget Ramayana adaptation should look, sound, and feel on screen.

What It Means Going Forward

Muntashir's post signals that as Ramayana Part 1 draws closer to release, comparisons with Adipurush are likely to intensify — both as a creative benchmark and as a cautionary tale. For the lyricist, defending his contribution to an otherwise panned film is also a personal reputation matter. Whether audiences and devotees accept the distinction he draws between the film and its songs remains to be seen.