Shatrughan Sinha has spoken out against Mukesh Khanna’s remark about his daughter, Sonakshi Sinha’s upbringing.
Shatrughan Sinha has come to his daughter Sonakshi Sinha’s defense following a verbal attack by fellow actor Mukesh Khanna. After Khanna criticized Sonakshi’s upbringing, she responded directly, and now Shatrughan has also condemned his remarks and questioned the intent behind them.
Shatrughan Sinha criticizes Mukesh Khanna
Mukesh Khanna had earlier criticized Sonakshi Sinha for failing to answer a Ramayana-related question during an old episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati. In response, Sonakshi addressed his remarks in an open letter. Now, Shatrughan Sinha has also spoken out against Mukesh Khanna.
In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Shatrughan Sinha addressed the criticism, saying, “It seems someone has an issue with Sonakshi not answering a question on the Ramayana. What makes this person an authority on the Ramayana? And who appointed him the guardian of Hinduism?”
The veteran actor defended his daughter, emphasizing that failing to answer a question about the Ramayana does not determine her faith. He stated, “I am immensely proud of all three of my children. Sonakshi became a star through her own efforts, without any need for me to launch her career. She is a daughter any father would be proud of. Not knowing the answer to a Ramayana question doesn’t make her any less of a good Hindu. She doesn’t need validation from anyone.”
Mukesh Khanna vs Sonakshi Sinha
Mukesh Khanna criticized Sonakshi Sinha for failing to answer a question about Lord Hanuman from the Ramayana on KBC, linking it to her upbringing as a Hindu. In response, Sonakshi penned an open letter addressing his remarks.
She wrote, “I recently came across your statement blaming my father for my inability to correctly answer a question about the Ramayana on a show I attended years ago. Let me remind you, there were two women on the hot seat that day who didn’t know the answer, yet you repeatedly mention only my name—for reasons that are quite evident.”
Sonakshi continued, “Yes, I may have blanked out that day—a natural human tendency—and forgotten who the Sanjeevani Booti was brought for. But it seems you, too, have forgotten some of the lessons of forgiveness and compassion taught by Lord Rama himself. If Lord Rama could forgive Manthara, Kaikeyi, and even Ravan after the great battle, surely you can let go of this minor incident. Not that I seek your forgiveness, but I do ask you to forget and stop revisiting this trivial matter to stay in the news at my and my family’s expense.”
In response, Mukesh Khanna told News9 that he was surprised by the delay in Sonakshi’s reply but stood by his earlier comments. He said, “My intention was to address the current generation, often referred to as ‘Gen-Z’ by elders, which has become overly reliant on Google, mobile phones, and platforms like Wikipedia and YouTube for knowledge. Sonakshi’s case presented a high-profile example that I used to highlight this issue and offer a lesson for fathers, sons, and daughters alike.”
On the professional front, Sonakshi will next appear in Nikita Roy and The Book of Darkness.