New Delhi: The Lav Kush Ramlila Committee has decided to drop actor Poonam Pandey from Delhi’s famous annual Ramlila event, days after their decision to cast her as Ravan’s wife Mandodari sparked protests from the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The organising committee said Tuesday the decision to drop her was taken keeping people’s sentiments in mind. A steering committee meeting of the organisers was held during the day where a decision was taken to drop Pandey.
Lav Kush Ramlila Committee (Red Fort) president Arjun Kumar told a press conference they have written to Poonam Pandey to inform her about the decision. He said saints and sages across the country opposed offering her the role.
“Every woman has a past, but every woman should be given a chance to come forward in a positive role. When people see her, she will be seen in a positive light, and more women will also come forward. Everyone should get an opportunity, but we are not in favour of hurting anyone’s sentiment. People’s sentiments are against it (casting Poonam). The Sanatan community is against it. Therefore, we held a meeting today and wrote to her saying that while we respect her feelings, keeping in mind people’s emotions, we have decided that Poonam will not play the role of Mandodari,” Kumar told the press conference.
The 10-day Ramlila staged at the Red Fort is an annual event and is recognised by UNESCO. The organisers had announced last week that this year Poonam Pandey would play the role of Mandodari, while actor Arya Babbar would play Ravan, and BJP MP Manoj Tiwari Parashuram.
After the announcement, Pandey had issued a video statement expressing happiness at getting the opportunity to play Mandodari in the “world famous” Ramlila. “It is an important character. I have decided that through the Navaratri, I will observe a fast so my body and mind is absolutely cleansed to play this beautiful role.”
Earlier on Friday, the VHP had written to the organisers objecting to Pandey playing Mandodari, and had asked them to reconsider casting her “given her public image and past controversies” which the VHP claimed “could hurt the sentiments of devotees”.
The committee had then said they were not considering dropping Pandey, but they have now decided to do so.
Delhi BJP media head Praveen Shanker Kapoor, who had also raised the matter and written a letter to the Ramlila committee, thanked the organisers for respecting the “sentiments of the people”.
“I have been constantly saying that Arjun ji and Subhash Goyal ji (General Secretary of Luv Kush Ramlila Committee) will definitely abide by the sentiments of the society. I thank them for taking the appropriate decision and respecting the sentiments of the people,” he told ThePrint, urging people to watch the Ramlila at the Red Fort.
In his letter, Kapoor had raised an objection to Pandey being considered for the role of Mandodari. “It is regrettable that some senior office-bearers of the Committee have given the sacred role of Mandodari to a woman, Poonam Pandey, who is known for vulgar displays and controversial statements on social networking platforms.”
“The Delhi branch of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, along with many religious figures and I myself, have raised objections to this,” he had said.
It appears that one or two office-bearers of the committee want to exploit the objectionable image of Poonam Pandey to create publicity around the Ramlila, a move with which most other members disagree, Kapoor had said, while requesting the committee to reconsider their decision.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Vishva Hindu Parishad Indraprastha (Delhi) Region, wholeheartedly welcomed the decision to drop Pandey from the act.
“Religion always safeguards dignity and it is universally accepted that obscenity violates the very essence of dignity. Therefore, it is not appropriate to allow obscenity on a platform meant for dignity,” it said in a statement.
Earlier, the VHP Indraprastha (Delhi) general secretary Surendra Gupta had expressed serious concerns and had written to the Lav Kush Ramlila Committee, requesting a rethink on roping in Pandey.
In the letter, Gupta said Ramlila is not simply a theatrical performance, but a living element of Indian society and values. The organisation mentioned the UNESCO cultural honour conferred on Ramlila, recognising it as a traditional performance with international acclaim.
In the letter, the Delhi VHP had said it was an issue of cultural and moral sensitivity, and there were concerns over Pandey’s public image.
The Delhi VHP had said the selection of characters in Ramayana-based productions should be guided not only by acting skills, but by cultural appropriateness and respect for the sentiments of the devotees.
The VHP had argued that the character of Mandodari represents “virtue, dignity, restraint, and the ideal of devoted wifehood”.
“Therefore, the selection of the artist for this role should reflect these ideals,” it said in the letter.
The letter said there may be outrage among devotees given Pandey’s public image and past controversies. The Delhi VHP had also suggested selecting an actor whose traditional theatrical background or public record aligns with cultural expectations.
Pandey is known for her controversial stunts in the past. The actor had promised to strip if India won the 2011 ODI Cricket World Cup. Her own app—Pandey App—launched in 2017, was banned by Google for ‘explicit content’.
In 2024, the actor’s team had falsely announced her death due to cervical cancer only to later reveal it was a stunt to raise awareness about the disease, something which resulted in public outrage.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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