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Mukesh Khanna lashes out at Sharmila Tagore over her reported Vande Mataram stand, invoking her ‘Ayesha Begum’ identification and accusing events of appeasement.
Mukesh Khanna lashes out at Sharmila Tagore over her reported remarks on Vande Mataram and non secular range.
Mukesh Khanna has strongly criticised Sharmila Tagore over remarks attributed to her within the ongoing debate surrounding Vande Mataram. The veteran actor, identified for taking part in Bhishma in Mahabharat and the titular superhero in Shaktimaan, questioned why non secular issues ought to decide whether or not the nationwide music is sung in its entirety.
Chatting with The Free Press Journal, Mukesh was requested about Sharmila’s reported view that solely the opening stanzas of Vande Mataram ought to be sung, preserving India’s non secular range and the emotions of various communities in thoughts.
Mukesh disagreed with the argument and, throughout his response, referred to Sharmila’s marriage into the Pataudi household, her Bengali upbringing and her affiliation with Hindu cultural traditions.
Mukesh Khanna Questions Sharmila Tagore’s Stand
Mukesh started by saying that Sharmila was entitled to her interpretation however questioned the reasoning behind it.
“She is talking in response to her personal understanding. I don’t know why she stated it. Perhaps whereas explaining her viewpoint, she ended up saying that individuals from different religions might not perceive or settle for it,” he stated.
The actor then referred to Sharmila as “Ayesha Begum” whereas discussing her marriage into the Pataudi household.
“Did you realise solely after marriage that Islam additionally exists? Once you grew to become a Begum, did you then realise that Muslims comply with a unique religion? You grew to become Ayesha Begum for marriage, however at present you might be talking as Ayesha Begum. I’m shocked that after dwelling your entire life with Hinduism, you will have immediately turn out to be involved about different religions,” Mukesh stated.
He additionally introduced up Sharmila’s Bengali roots, arguing that she had grown up surrounded by traditions similar to Kali Puja.
“You grew up in Bengal, the place Kali Puja is widely known on such a big scale. You’ve got grown up with Bengali tradition and Bengali movies. Why is it solely now that you just really feel that individuals from one other faith might not settle for this?” he requested.
Mukesh Khanna Explains His Understanding Of Hinduism
Mukesh went on to debate his interpretation of Hindu perception and the thought of a number of deities. He argued that the existence of quite a few devi-devtas shouldn’t be interpreted as perception in quite a few separate Gods.
“We’ve 33 crore devi-devtas, however that doesn’t imply there are 33 crore Gods. There’s one God, who’s nirakar, and not using a type. A devotee may even see that God in Hanuman, Shiva, Ram or Krishna,” he stated.
In response to Mukesh, completely different kinds enable particular person devotees to visualise the identical divine presence in response to their religion.
“So they’re the avatars of God. They arrive in each yuga. If God seems earlier than me, maybe he’ll seem as Shiva as a result of that’s the type I imagine in. For somebody who believes in Krishna, he might seem as Krishna,” he added.
Mukesh Khanna On Spiritual Objections To Vande Mataram
Returning to Vande Mataram, Mukesh claimed that objections from sections of the Muslim neighborhood have traditionally concerned greater than references to Hindu deities within the music’s later verses.
“Their objection didn’t start at present. The argument has been that they bow solely earlier than Khuda and subsequently wouldn’t bow earlier than anybody else,” he claimed.
Mukesh then cited completely different musical renditions of Vande Mataram, mentioning Lata Mangeshkar, Hemant Kumar and AR Rahman.
He significantly referred to Rahman’s Maa Tujhe Salaam, arguing that its language equally addresses the nation as a mom. “He says ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’. He’s calling her Maa and providing a salute,” Mukesh stated.
‘We Are Not Forcing Them To Bow’
Mukesh maintained that respecting the nation doesn’t essentially imply bodily bowing earlier than a picture or image. He stated individuals who don’t want to bow shouldn’t be compelled to take action, however questioned extending that objection to singing Vande Mataram itself.
“We bow earlier than Bharat Mata. If somebody doesn’t need to bow, tremendous, we aren’t forcing them to bow. However then saying that Vande Mataram itself shouldn’t be sung is one thing I don’t perceive,” he stated.
The actor concluded by accusing political events of treating the controversy as an electoral difficulty quite than taking a constant place.
“You aren’t following a precept, you might be following appeasement. You are attempting to point out Muslims that you’re nonetheless with them in order that they vote for you. That’s the entire drawback,” Mukesh stated.
Fast Solutions
Ask News18India’s non secular range has traditionally influenced the choice and presentation of its nationwide symbols. Considerations over particular non secular imagery in some verses of Vande Mataram led the Indian Nationwide Congress in 1937 to formally use solely its first two stanzas, omitting parts that mirrored particular non secular beliefs to swimsuit a pluralistic society. This range additionally influenced the Constituent Meeting to decide on Jana Gana Mana because the Nationwide Anthem to mirror the nation’s numerous character.
Ask News18Concerning the Writer
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a ardour for all issues leisure. Whether or not he is breaking the most recent Bollywood information or chatting with rising stars within the OTT world, he’s at all times…Learn Extra
September 03, 2026, 23:00 IST
