'Disrespectful towards Ramayan...' Balaji temple priest slams 'Adipurush' filmmaker, Kriti for temple kiss
Rangarajan Chilkur, chief priest of Chilkur Balaji Temple in Telangana, strongly condemned the act and compared it to an insult towards the epic Ramayan and Goddess Sita.
FollowThe chief priest of Chilkur Balaji Temple in Telangana has expressed strong disapproval and raised objections to a reported incident at the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati on June 7. It was alleged that filmmaker Om Raut kissed actress Kriti Sanon at the temple premises, which the head priest deemed as "condemnable" and against religious sentiments.
Rangarajan Chilkur stated, "I was deeply saddened to witness Om Raut and Kriti Sanon behaving indecently at the Tirupati temple. Even married couples maintain decorum and decency in such places. However, witnessing open displays of hugging and kissing was a repulsive sight that hurt my religious beliefs." He further added, "Actors like NTR, ANR, and Nagarjuna displayed grace and dignity in their portrayals of characters from Indian mythology. But nowadays, such dedication seems to be lacking. Kriti Sanon is not suitable for the role of Seetamma."
The head priest strongly condemned the act and compared it to an insult towards the epic Ramayan and Goddess Sita. He remarked, "Even a husband and wife do not engage in such behaviour within the temple premises. If you want to do such things, do it in a hotel room. Your actions are disrespectful towards Ramayan and Goddess Sita."
The incident in question occurred when the filmmaker bid farewell to Kriti Sanon outside the temple premises, where they were seen sharing a kiss. The circulation of videos capturing the act sparked a heated debate on social media. Some expressed anger and criticized the actress and director, while others defended them, arguing against the need for such unnecessary controversy.
The BJP State Secretary Ramesh Naidu initially criticized the incident in a now-deleted tweet. However, after receiving backlash, he withdrew his statement.
On June 6, the team of 'Adipurush' unveiled the film's final trailer in Tirumala in a grand event. The following day, director Om Raut and Kriti Sanon visited the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati for darshan. A viral video captured the moment when the filmmaker bid farewell to Kriti by kissing her on the cheek, which triggered a negative reaction from a section of netizens.
In response, Kriti Sanon shared a photo on social media from the event and expressed gratitude for the love she received and her visit to the Tirupati temple.
