Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has responded to veteran actress Sharmila Tagore’s recent remarks on Vande Mataram, urging people to look beyond what she described as a “Hindu-Muslim mindset” while discussing the national song.
Ranaut shared a video of Tagore’s interview on her Instagram Stories and said she respected the veteran actress’s right to have reservations about the song, but disagreed with her interpretation.
Kangana Defends Artistic Meaning Of ‘Vande Mataram’
Ranaut said poetry and songs frequently use metaphors, symbolism and imagination to express deeper emotions and ideas.
“I appreciate that Sharmila ji has spoken about her reservation on Vande Mataram, but I am shocked as an artist how can her views on art/poetry can be so limiting and contrived,” Kangana wrote.
She said Vande Mataram should be viewed in the context of India’s freedom struggle and argued that references to “Shakti” represented strength and the awakening of the nation rather than simply a religious practice.
‘Please Come Out Of Hindu Muslim Mindset’
Taking her argument further, Ranaut urged people to avoid viewing the song through a Hindu-Muslim divide.
“Please come out of Hindu Muslim mindset,” she wrote, while explaining that the concept of power or “Shakti” could be understood beyond religious boundaries.
Vande Mataram was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in the 1870s and later featured in his novel Anandamath. It is recognised as India’s national song. The opening stanzas celebrate India’s natural beauty, while later sections contain references to Hindu deities, making the song a subject of discussion and debate over the years.
