17 December,2024 09:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Mukesh Khanna, Sonakshi Sinha Pic/AFP, Instagram
After Sonakshi Sinha slammed veteran actor Mukesh Khanna for making "distasteful statements" against her upbringing and family while criticising her for lack of knowledge about Ramayana, the Shaktimaan actor has now responded to her "surprisingly late reaction". Back in 2019, Sonakshi incorrectly answered a question about the Hindu epic during her appearance on the popular quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. Khanna, who had criticised the actor back then, recounted the incident during a recent interview with RJ Siddharth Kannan, which led to Sonakshi's reaction.
Speaking to News9, Mukesh Khanna said, "I am surprised she took so much time to react. I knew I was antagonising her by taking her name from that incident in the famous Kaun Banega Crorepati show. But I had no malicious intention to malign her or her father who is my senior and I have a very cordial relationship with him."
He added, "My intention was to react to today's generation, which is called âGenz' by elders, which has become slaves to today's Google world and mobile phones. Their knowledge is limited to Wikipedia and social interactions on YouTube. And here I had a Hi-Fi case in front of me which I could use to teach others. Fathers, sons, daughters."
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Sonakshi Sinha wrote on Instagram, "Dear Sir, Mukesh Khanna ji... I recently read a statement you made saying that it's my father's fault I did not answer a question about the Ramayana correctly on a show I attended many, many years back."
The actor asked Khanna to stop bringing up the same incident to make "news at the expense" of her and her family. "... The next time you decide to say anything about the values my father has instilled in me... please remember it's because of those values that I have only said what I said, very respectfully, after you decided to make some distasteful statements about my upbringing."
Sonakshi said though she "blanked out" during her appearance on KBC, she wondered how Khanna could forget the lessons to "forgive and forget" taught by Lord Ram himself".
"If Lord Ram can forgive Manthara, if he can forgive Kaikeyi... if he can even forgive Ravan after the great battle was done, surely you can let go of this extremely small thing in comparison.. not that I need your forgiveness," added the Dahaad star.