Renowned lyricist Anantha Sriram has stirred a row with his recent remarks at a Hindu religious gathering organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Krishna district. Addressing the audience, Sriram voiced his displeasure over the portrayal of Hinduism in contemporary cinema, urging Hindus to boycott films that distort religious beliefs and mythology.
Citing specific examples, Sriram criticised filmmakers for misrepresenting Hindu deities and symbols, emphasising the societal impact of such depictions. He said, “Once a famous music director rejected the term ‘Brahmanda Nayakudu’ which is a title for Lord Vishnu, since then, I declared in front of him that I am not going to write for any of his films.”
Sriram particularly condemned the upcoming film Kalki 2898 AD, accusing it of distorting the character of Karna from Indian mythology. He questioned, “When they distorted and portrayed Karna as a superior warrior to Arjuna, how dare we as a Hindu society stay silent? When Draupadi Vastaharan took place, what did Karna do? We are not going to stay silent anymore.” Sriram also criticised the broader trend of filmmakers altering stories from epics like the Ramayana and Bhagavata Purana for creative liberty.
He expressed discontent with films like PK, which he claimed mock Hindu practices, and urged Hindus to reject such movies to preserve the sanctity of their religion. Sriram called for collective action against the misrepresentation of Hindu mythology, advocating for the protection of religious values in cinema.
His statements have sparked a heated debate on social media drawing both support and criticism from various quarters.