"yadyadacharati Sreshtas tattadevetaro janaah | sa yat pramaanam kurute lokas tad anuvartate ||" - Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 3, Verse 21)
"Whatever a great person does, others follow; whatever standard they set, the world adopts."
This is a famous verse from the Holy Bhagavad Gita.
Whoever earns the recognition of being a śreṣṭha (a respected or exemplary person) in any field should be responsible while speaking to the public, because they influence society.
Bhakti is an element that keeps society aware of moral boundaries, often guided by a healthy fear of doing wrong in the eyes of the divine.
Diluting this does not help society in any meaningful way. So, whether a great person believes in it or not, expressing disbelief publicly amounts to propagating atheism. Now, let us get into the details.
The “Varanasi” event has turned out to be more of a minus than a plus. Director S. S. Rajamouli, who is known for creating massive cinematic moments, seemed to expect something truly grand to unfold at this event.
However, it ended up generating no positive impact. There is hardly any buzz around it now; no one is talking about it, and the expected excitement simply never arrived.
Adding to the disappointment, Rajamouli’s speech at the event became controversial. He appeared overly emotional due to a mere technical glitch, which many felt was unnecessary.
More importantly, his remarks related to Lord Hanuman triggered criticism from devotional groups. Following this, several old videos resurfaced on social media, videos in which he had previously expressed that Lord Rama is a boring character and made similar statements.
These clips have now created a storm, especially among Hindutva groups, putting him in a difficult position. The irony pointed out by many online users is that his father, Vijayendra Prasad, is a BJP MP, while Rajamouli is being accused of lacking devotion or belief in God.
Of course, there is no rule that every individual must be religious. However, when handling characters rooted deeply in Indian mythology, especially Lord Rama, who holds national emotional significance, a filmmaker is expected to be cautious and respectful in public statements.
What is even more surprising is Rajamouli’s silence despite criticism from the public as well as prominent BJP figures like Raja Singh and Kompella Madhavi Latha.
At this point, Rajamouli should ideally come forward, clarify what he meant, explain the context of his earlier remarks, and apologize if his words hurt anyone’s sentiments.
His continued silence may project arrogance, and that perception could eventually affect the future reception of his films.
