Prakash Raj's remarks on Ram, Lakshman as north Indians return to haunt him

Actor Prakash Raj has yet again landed in the soup, this time over his remarks on the Ramayana. The remarks were made by Raj at the Kerala Literature Festival in January and have come back to haunt him. Prakash Raj was talking about the version of the Ramayana that a children's theatre group had enacted during a creative workshop. The version of the epic portrayed Lord Rama and Lakshman as north Indians who "stole" fruits from Ravana's garden in the south.

A complaint has now been filed against Raj for mocking Lord Rama and the sacred epic.

The remarks came while Raj was speaking to veteran journalist Shahina KK.

The complaint was filed on Thursday (April 16) over Prakash Raj's "deliberately malicious acts" that seemingly outraged the religious feelings of Hindus.

In a complaint filed by Advocate Amita Sachdeva, she described herself as a "devout Hindu and concerned citizen whose religious sentiments have been deeply hurt". She vowed to pursue the case vigorously, adding, "Insults to our Bhagwans and Sanatan Dharma will no longer be tolerated. These people must understand — there are limits." The details of the complaint were also shared by her in a post on X.

PRAKASH RAJ'S NARRATION OF A RAMAYANA VERSION THAT LANDED HIM IN TROUBLE

While narrating the version of the epic presented by the children, he said Lakshman once told Ram there was a forest ahead and asked if they could eat the fruits there. Ram replied that it was someone's field, but if they were hungry, they could eat and it wouldn't be considered "theft".

Raj then continued, "While they were eating, Shurpanakha (Ravana's sister) and Ravan suddenly appeared. An angry Shurpanakha said, 'Brother, they are eating fruits.' On this, Ravan said, 'They are hungry. Let them eat. We will talk later.'"

The actor also added that Ram then assumed that Ravan and Shurpanakha were tribals, but Ravana asserted that they were the "owners".

Prakash Raj then elaborated, saying, "Ram said that we have eaten fruits from Ravana's field, so we will pay. On this, Shurpanakha said, '$2,000 with GST.' Ram and Lakshman said that they did not have money, even after Ravana gave them a discount. Then Ravana said, 'You had come here in search of fruits, and now that you have eaten the fruits, plant their seeds, grow trees, and go back.'"

Many saw Prakash's narration of the Ramayana version as a comment on the North-South debate, saying people from the North should not impose their culture on the South.

He added that people from the North should "come to the South, work, and then go back. They should not talk about things like one nation, one election".

His comments have sparked a dispute on social media, with citizens demanding his removal from the upcoming film Varanasi, in which he is playing the role of Lord Shiva. Some have also called for boycotts of his other projects.

- Ends