Indian actor Mukesh Khanna responds to Sonakshi Sinha’s criticism over Ramayana comment
Mukesh insists that his remarks were not meant to offend Sonakshi Sinha's upbringing
Dubai: After Sonakshi Sinha criticised Mukesh Khanna for his comments about her inability to answer a question on the Indian ancient text, Ramayana, during a 2019 Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) quiz show episode, the veteran actor clarified on Instagram Stories that his remarks were neither personal nor meant to target her upbringing.
He stated that his comments were about the lack of understanding of ancient texts among today’s generation. However, his response was seemingly passive aggressive.
In his Instagram post addressed to Sinha, Mukesh wrote: “I am surprised it took her so long to react. I knew mentioning her name might upset her, but I had no malicious intent to malign her or her father, who is my senior and someone I respect deeply. My comments were not about her upbringing but about how modern generations rely too heavily on technology.”
What was the drama about?
Mukesh had previously referred to Sonakshi’s inability to answer a question about the Ramayana on KBC as an example of what he sees as the growing gap in traditional knowledge among Gen Z.
“My point was to address how Gen Z relies more on Google and Wikipedia than on learning from traditional sources. Her incident was a relatable example to highlight this,” Mukesh explained.
Earlier this week, Sonakshi had responded sharply on her Instagram Stories, asking Mukesh to stop repeatedly referencing the incident. She emphasised that the KBC lapse was a one-off and urged Mukesh to let it go.
“Dear Sir, Mukesh Khanna ji… You keep singling me out for this incident even though there were two women on the hot seat who didn’t know the answer. Your reasons for repeatedly naming me are quite obvious,” she wrote.
Sonakshi also addressed Mukesh’s earlier remarks involving her father, Shatrughan Sinha.
“The next time you feel compelled to comment on me or my family, please remember it is because of my father’s teachings that I have responded to you respectfully, despite your distasteful comments,” she said.
While Mukesh insists that his remarks were not meant to offend and were intended as a critique of societal trends, the exchange has sparked a debate about revisiting past incidents to make broader points and the potential fallout of such remarks on public figures.