Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna has reacted to actress Sonakshi Sinha’s recent remarks criticizing his comments about her upbringing. The debate stems from Khanna’s criticism of Sonakshi’s inability to answer a Ramayana-related question on Kaun Banega Crorepati 11 (KBC 11) in 2019.
Mukesh Khanna Clarifies Intent
In a statement, Khanna stated he was “surprised” it took Sonakshi nearly four years to respond to his comments. “I knew I was antagonising her by taking her name from that incident,” Khanna admitted, adding, “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.”
Khanna further clarified that his remarks were meant as a general observation about today’s youth, whom he believes are overly reliant on Google and Wikipedia. “We have a huge and vast knowledge preserved in our culture, Sanskriti and history which every youth of today should know. And not only know but also feel proud about it. That’s all,” he concluded.
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Sonakshi’s Strong Response
Sonakshi Sinha, in turn, criticized Khanna’s repeated reference to the KBC 11 incident in public forums. Addressing him through a note shared on Instagram Stories, she wrote, “Dear Sir, Mukesh Khanna ji… I recently read a statement you made saying it’s my father’s fault I did not answer a question about the Ramayana correctly… Firstly, let me remind you there were two women on the hot seat that day who did not know the answer to the same question, but you choose to keep taking my name.”
Sonakshi also pointed out that her lapse was momentary and unrelated to her upbringing. “I blanked out on the show… I respectfully request you to forget the incident that you keep on touching upon in public to be back in the news,” she wrote.
Background on the KBC 11 Incident
The controversy dates back to 2019 when Sonakshi Sinha, appearing on KBC 11, was unable to answer a question about Ramayana. Mukesh Khanna later commented on the incident, saying, “It’s not Sonakshi’s fault; it’s her father’s fault. Why did you not tell your kids? Why did you let them be so modern?”
Also Read: Sonakshi Sinha CALLS OUT Mukesh Khanna for “Distasteful statements” over Shatrughan Sinha’s upbringing: “Stop bringing up the same incident time and again to be back in the news”
