Shatrughan Sinha slams Mukesh Khanna for remarks on Sonakshi Sinha’s knowledge of Ramayana

Veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha has come to the defense of his daughter Sonakshi Sinha after fellow actor Mukesh Khanna made remarks about her knowledge of the Ramayana and questioned her upbringing. The controversy stems from an old episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), where Sonakshi struggled to answer a question related to the epic.

In an interview, Mukesh criticised Sonakshi’s upbringing and linked her inability to answer the question to a perceived lack of cultural knowledge. Sonakshi responded with an open letter, and now her father has strongly rebutted Mukesh's statements.

Speaking to a media organisation, Shatrughan expressed his disappointment over Mukesh’s remarks. “Someone seems to have taken issue with Sonakshi not answering a question on the Ramayana. What qualifies him as an expert on the subject? And who appointed him the guardian of the Hindu religion?” he said.

Shatrughan also emphasised that not knowing the answer to a single question does not diminish Sonakshi’s values or faith. “I am immensely proud of my children. Sonakshi became a star on her own merit, without any assistance from me. She is a daughter any father would be proud to have. Not answering one question doesn’t disqualify her from being a good Hindu. She doesn’t need anyone’s certificate of approval,” he added.

Sonakshi, in her open letter, called out Mukesh’s fixation on her while ignoring the other contestant on KBC who also failed to answer the same question. She wrote, “If Lord Rama can forgive and forget the deeds of Manthara, Kaikeyi, and even Ravan, surely you can let go of this trivial incident.”

In response, Mukesh reiterated his stance, suggesting his criticism was aimed at highlighting the over-reliance of today’s generation on technology for knowledge. He stated, “My intention was to caution Gen-Z, whose understanding is often limited to online sources.”