Poonam Pandey as Mandodari: Delhi Lav Kush Ramlila panel refuses to budge

The Luv Kush Ramlila Committee’s decision to cast Pandey as Ravana’s wife, the righteous, chaste Mandodari, in its iconic 2025 Lav Kush Ramlila performance on Delhi’s Red Fort grounds, has irked the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the BJP.

The Sangh Parivar bodies claim her controversial public image is ‘obscene’, stemming from her 2011 promise to strip if India won the ODI World Cup and her 2024 fake death announcement which caused an even bigger uproar. They feel she is unsuitable for the role and could hurt the sentiments of devotees.

'Not replace Poonam'

However, talking to The Federal, Arjun Kumar, president of the Lav Kush Committee, pointed out that they have been using films stars from Mumbai to play the role of Ram, Lakshman, Ravana and Sita in the Ramlila for over two decades.

“It was Poonam who contacted us and requested that she be included in the Ram Lila. We agreed since she has acted in Hindi and Punjabi films,” he said, dismissing the backlash as inconsequential.

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“An artist is an artist, we will not replace her," he said, affirming that Pandey will play Mandodari in the traditional Ramlila performance in Delhi, which opens today and continues till October 3.

“Everyone has a right to their opinion,” Kumar replied when asked about the objections from the VHP and the BJP. Further, he said that Poonam, who arrives in Delhi on September 26, will practise for the role, before she takes the stage for two days on September 29 and 30.

Asked about the criteria to choose actors to play the key mythological characters, Kumar said that actor Arya Babbar has already played the role of Ravan in a TV show, while Kinshuk Vaidya, who has essayed the role of Krishna earlier, will be Ram. When pointed out that Pandey had no prior experience in playing mythological characters, he said that it was enough that she had worked in movies.

'God is watching'

BJP media head and spokesperson, Praveen Shankar Kapoor, who has condemned the casting, told The Federal that he has quit the Raslila committee as senior vice-president over this issue.

“I am against what’s happening. I have said enough against Poonam’s casting and I am only going to say this now: God and society are watching them.

"If this is the direction it is going, audiences are slowly going to stop coming for the Ramlila show. Arjun Kumar is being stubborn and unwilling to drop her,” he said, adding that Kumar is a local Congress leader who is unwilling to listen to reason.

Arya Babbar's take

Meanwhile, actor Arya Babbar, who plays the mighty king Ravan in the Lav Kush Ramlila, also weighs in on the row.

Babbar has an “emotional connect” with the Ramlila since his mother, the famous stage personality, Nadira Babbar (wife of actor Raj Babbar), had also performed in the Delhi Ram Lila many years ago.

Acting in theatre since he was 10 years old, he is “excited” to be invited by the Ramlila committee to perform in the same famous show his mother had also participated in. Earlier, Arya had played Ravan, the “most human character written in mythology,” for a Sony TV show, Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanumaan as well. He is in awe of Ravan’s character, who he says was unable to fight his ego, knowing only too well that he was headed to destruction.

Content consumption

Responding to the controversy over Poonam Pandey’s casting as his wife Mandodari in the Ramlila, Arya said, “I respect the feelings of the Sangh or VHP but at the same time this means that they have been consuming the content put up by Poonam ji." He added in a humorous tone, "It’s only because they have been consuming such content that they probably have this level of problem with her and are protesting over it.”

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"To me, Poonam ji is a great performer, others may have a different opinion," he pointed out, adding that finally it is the call of the organisers of the show who they want to cast.

Further, Arya Babbar also spoke of how playing godly characters is not just a performance — it comes with a level of responsibility since people’s emotions are connected. "When you perform godly characters, you are performing not just for entertainment sake but you are performing to cater to people's emotions and that emotion has to be respected," he told The Federal.

Controversy's child

Even as the row over Poonam’s casting intensified, the UNESCO recognised the Lav-Kush Ramlila team, uploaded a video in which Poonam gushes about the “important role” she is playing as Mandodari. The internet sensation went on to promise to fast for nine days, so that her "body and mind remain clean".

In the clip, Poonam is heard saying: “In Delhi’s Red Fort, the world famous Love Kush Ram Leela, I am getting an opportunity to play the role of Mandodari. I am very excited, very happy.”

“I have also decided that, since Navratri starts tomorrow, I am planning to fast for nine days, so that my body and mind remain more cleansed, and I can play this beautiful character well. Jai Shri Ram,” she said.

Nudes and more

Pandey, who started off in the entertainment world as a model, has openly admitted at a movie press conference in 2014 that she “achieved whatever she wanted through controversies”. Constantly promising to shed her clothes and go Full Monty either on the cricket field or on social media, Pandey has continued to provoke and cause an outcry.

Deeply upset when BCCI refused to allow her to traipse naked on the cricket field after the 2011 World Cup cricket win, she went ahead and posted a nude photo on social media after Kolkata Knight Riders emerged champions in 2012.

In 2017, her Pandey App, featuring explicit content, was banned by Google from Play Store within an hour, citing a violation of content guidelines. Notably, it sparked off debates on freedom of expression in the digital space.

Raj Kundra dispute

Pandey was also involved in a legal dispute with Raj Kundra, husband of Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, which involved claims of unauthorised use of her videos.

Pandey alleged that Kundra’s company continued using her content after their contract ended and even leaked her personal number with messages soliciting explicit content, resulting in harassment. She later described her association with Kundra as her “biggest mistake”.

In 2021, she filed a domestic violence complaint against her husband leading to his arrest. During the reality show Lock Upp, the model disclosed the alleged domestic violence she endured in her marriage.

In between her controversies, Poonam Pandey managed to act in films. Her debut in Bollywood was Nasha (2013), after which she did few films like The Journey of Karma (2018), GST – Galti Sirf Tumhari (2017), and the Telugu film Malini & Co (2015). She also appeared in the short film The Uncanny (2013) and did a dance number in Kannada film Love Is Poison (2014). Pandey has also worked in a TV series, Honeymoon Suite Room No 911 (2023).

Death stunt

But, even her supporters were hard-pressed to defend the stunt she pulled over her own death. Early last year, Pandey's official Instagram account released a statement saying that the 32-year-old actress suffering from cervical cancer "bravely fought the disease" and died.

Many trusted the post, and news outlets, including The Federal, reported her death. Just a day after her "death", Pandey, however, posted a video saying that she had "faked her demise" as part of a social media campaign to create awareness about cervical cancer.

This sparked off a huge debate over ethics in advertising.

Real clashes with reel life

Outrage over the casting of actors in mythological roles has always been a hot button in the country.

Earlier too, actors have been slammed for playing the virtuous, idealised Sita when their personal lives conflicted with his image.

The Tamil film Sri Rama Rajyam (2011) ran into problems when Hindu groups like the Hindu Makkal Katchi protested over Nayanthara's casting. They argued that her personal life, particularly her relationship with actor Prabhu Deva, contradicted the "one man, one woman" ideal represented by Sita.

Recently, Sai Pallavi’s choice to play Sita in the upcoming Ramayana was criticised but for different reasons. The South Indian actress was perceived as being “anti-Hindu” for her comments on terrorism in Kashmir in an old interview and for not being "beautiful" enough as Sita is meant to be.

The choice of Ranbir Kapoor to play Ram in the same film again triggered social media fury, as he had said several years back that he enjoyed eating beef.