‘Beef’ over Brahmastra: Artists should not hurt sentiments, says MP HM Narottam Mishra
Actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were stopped from visiting the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain on Tuesday, following an old video of Ranbir Kapoor where he said that he is “a big beef fan”. MP’s home minister Narottam Mishra has now reacted to the episode, saying that artists should not hurt public sentiments.
FollowA protest was staged outside Mahakaleshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain, ahead of actor Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s visit on Tuesday. The protest was held by members of Bajrang Dal who raised black flags against Ranbir for his ‘beef’ comment. This further led to a lathicharge by the cops to disperse the crowd.
Following the incident, the state’s home minister Narottam Mishra, on Wednesday, spoke to the media in the state capital, Bhopal, and said that artists should refrain from hurting sentiments of people. “Artists should not use words that hurt the sentiments of the people,” said Mishra.
ALSO READ: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt’s ‘beef’ remark triggers Bajrang Dal fury against Brahmastra
Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were on their way to Ujjain from Indore when the protests began outside the VVIP gate of Mahakal Temple. While the film’s director Ayan Mukerji was able to enter the temple, Ranbir and Alia could not go for the darshan. They were at Ujjain collector Ashish Singh’s residence from where the couple headed back to Indore, without seeking the blessings of Lord Mahakal.
Responding to this, the minister said, “There was no bar for darshan. From Ayan Mukerji to everyone else who came with Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, everyone had darshan. The arrangements were in place. The administration had also requested Ranbir and Alia to go for darshan, but they didn't go.”
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Why are people protesting against Ranbir Kapoor and Brahmastra? Ahead of the film’s release, several people are calling for boycott of the film. This is because a 10-year old video of Ranbir Kapoor has resurfaced on the internet. In the video, the actor is heard saying “I am a big beef fan”. This old video of the actor has hurt the sentiments of many.
Meanwhile, Brahmastra, which stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles, will hit the cinema halls on Friday, September 9. Helmed by Ayan Mukerji, the film also stars actors Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna Akkineni and Mouni Roy. It has been backed by Karan Johar’s ‘Dharma Productions’, and down south, the film is being presented by SS Rajamouli.
