Days after Shatrughan Sinha slammed him for his comments on daughter and actor Sonakshi Sinha, veteran actor Mukesh Khanna has now defended his comments, insisting that he took her name only as an example and did not intend to demean her. Mukesh, in an interview about reruns of Mahabharat and Ramayan on TV during lockdown, had said that it will help “people like Sonakshi Sinha who have no knowledge about our mythological sagas”.
Mukesh told Times of India in an interview, “People have blown my comment out of proportion and presented it wrongly to Shatruji. I have known him for long and have immense respect for him. I took Sonakshi’s name as a mere example. It does not mean I was trying to demean her or question her knowledge. My intention was not to target her. However, I am shocked to see how the current generation is not aware of many things.”
He went on to emphasise his point, “Recently, I was watching a video in which an IT student didn’t know whose maternal uncle Kans was. Someone even answered ‘Duryodhan’ to that question. I am not claiming that I am the guardian of Ramayan and Hindu literature, but as a citizen of India, I do feel that it is our duty to introduce our literature and history to today’s generation because they are more interested in TikTok and Harry Potter. Once again, if Shatruji feels that taking Sonakshi’s name was a mistake, then yes, it is. But, it was not intentional.” Mukesh essayed the role of Bhishma Pitamah in BR Chopra’s Mahabhata.
Reacting to the news of 90s popular mythological series Mahabharat and Ramayan being rerun on Doordarshan amid the lockdown in wake of Covid-19 pandemic, Mukesh had recently said in an interview, “I think the reruns will be useful to many who haven’t watched the show earlier. It will also help people like Sonakshi Sinha who have no knowledge about our mythological sagas. People like her don’t know who did lord Hunuman get Sanjivani for. There is a video doing the rounds where few boys are asked whose Mama (uncle) was Kans and they got scared to answer. Some said Duryodhan, others said something else, so they are not aware of the mythology.”
Soakshi was unable to answer a Kaun Banega Crorepati question about Ramayan, leading to a meme fest.
Without taking his name, Shatruughan had then said, “I believe someone has problem with Sonakshi not answering a question on the Ramayan. Firstly what qualifies this person to be an expert on all things to do with the Ramayan? And who has appointed him the guardian of the Hindu religion?”
Mukesh’s Mahabharat co-star Nitish Bhardwaj had also criticised his comments on Sonakshi and said, “Why target Sonakshi alone? There’s always a better way to say the same thing. A balanced, soft and empathetic way; and it is received better too. Seniors seem worthy of respect if they walk the path of empathy.” Nitish played Lord Krishna to Mukesh’s Bhishma Pitamah in Mahabharat.
