Did you miss the Hanuman reference while watching Black Panther too? Did you miss the Hanuman reference while watching Black Panther too?

Black Panther — Marvel’s first-ever black superhero film — is winning hearts worldwide. However, there is one tiny detail in the Chadwick Boseman film that is irking the fans of the film in India. If you have watched the film on the big screen then you might have noticed that when M’Baku, essayed by actor Winston Duke, challenges King T’Challa (Boseman) to a combat to win the throne of Wakanda, his lips move but you cannot hear any sound. The word that has been censored is “Hanuman” from the phrase ‘Glory to Hanuman’. But the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has beeped out this reference fearing that it might religious sentiments.

In the Marvel comics, M’Baku was known as Man-Ape, and this line was intended to be a tribute to the Jabari clan god. Now, whether it would have hurt religious sentiments of Indians here or not is a separate debate, but the snipping has not gown down too well with the Indian audience.

“In the 1st fight b/w Tchalla and Mbaku, the latter actually says ‘Glory to Hanuman’. Ironic – it will be heard in every country except India (they silenced the name) thanks to our super-sensitive skin that can’t handle anything except Aloe Vera these days,” posted someone on Twitter, while another wrote, “It has been muted out. Even the subtitles just say “Glory to”. Perhaps the censor board saw Jabari as antagonists & didn’t want to ruffle any feathers by having them praise Hanuman.” Those who did hear the reference shared how proud they felt on hearing the reference. My heart swole when I heard the reference to Hanuman in #BlackPanther. It’s a shame Indians in India won’t be able to hear it because of politics,” posted someone.

Here are some of the other disgruntled reactions.

FYI – In the 1st fight b/w Tchalla and Mbaku, the latter actually says ‘Glory to Hanuman’. Ironic – it will be heard in every country except India (they silenced the name) thanks to our super-sensitive skin that can’t handle anything except Aloe Vera these days.#BlackPanther — Dr Roshan R (@pythoroshan) February 17, 2018

Haven’t seen the movie but was it a negative character who uttered the name Hanuman? Just wondering if that was the reason behind bleeping, not that it makes sense! #blackpanther — Writefully Yours (@prateekmathur03) February 20, 2018

Yup they censored the word. I for a moment thought they meant Bast… — dr salman kareem (@drsalmankareem) February 17, 2018

Yup they censored the word. I for a moment thought they meant Bast… — dr salman kareem (@drsalmankareem) February 17, 2018

I can say a lot of things about the subtle messages in Black Panther. But others have already discussed them. So, just a minor thing for now. Noting a line that appeared in the movie. A fleeting moment but thought it worth sharing: “Glory to hanumAn” 😉 — āṅgīrasa śreṣṭha (@GhorAngirasa) February 18, 2018

Is it true that it’s been censored in the Indian theatrical print? If so, then its the biggest BS ever. I never saw any abrahamic references censored

I ask coz I don’t live in India — Karma Shard (@dark_shard) February 18, 2018

My heart swole when I heard the reference to Hanuman in #BlackPanther

It’s a shame Indians in India won’t be able to hear it because of politics. — Tejal Wagadia (@currrydiaries) February 20, 2018

My heart swole when I heard the reference to Hanuman in #BlackPanther

It’s a shame Indians in India won’t be able to hear it because of politics. — Tejal Wagadia (@currrydiaries) February 20, 2018

There was also someone who tried to reason out.

Can’t really blame the censor board on bleeping “Hanuman”. There are many groups in India that do paid OUTRAGE on a daily basis and this could’ve been one of those cases. Just look at Padmavati. — Kapil Agrawal (@kapilag8) February 18, 2018

What are your thoughts on this censorship? Tell us in the comments below.

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