Actor gives up Shivaji roles after trolling over son Jahangir's name

Marathi actor Chinmay Mandlekar vows not to play Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj again after trolls target his son's name, sparking controversy and support.

Mumbai: A regular interview of Marathi actor Chinmay Mandlekar -- known for his portrayal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj -- for a podcast two weeks ago snowballed into such a bitter controversy that the actor has vowed never to play the character in future.

Actor known for playing Shivaji in six films trolled for naming his son Jahangir 11 yrs ago

Soon after the interview where Mandlekar discussed, among other things, his 11-year-old son Jahangir, he was trolled on social media. The actor was pilloried and questioned about the choice of his son’s presumably Mughal name. Some went so far as to suggest that he leave the country.

Incidentally, Mandlekar has also played the role of Farrukh Mallik Bitta in ‘The Kashmir Files.’

On Saturday, his wife Neha Joshi-Mandlekar posted two videos on her Instagram page, sarcastically expressing her regret about not being able to consult the ‘critics’ before naming her child. In another post, she asserted the family’s constitutional right to name their child as they deemed fit. But the trolls were not to be silenced.

“My son was born on Parsi New Year which is also known as Jamshedi Navroz. Therefore, we chose to give him a Parsi name. It also happens to be the name of JRD Tata,” she said.

On Sunday, Mandlekar took to his official social media account to address the relentless trolls and expressed concern over the unwarranted comments targeting his family, in a heartfelt video. “Hi, my name is Chinmay Mandlekar,” he said. “Yesterday, my wife Neha shared a video on her Instagram account addressing the trolling our son, Jahangir, has been subjected to. Despite our efforts to shed light on the issue, the trolling has only intensified, with people resorting to distasteful remarks questioning our family’s integrity.”

Mandlekar said while he was accustomed to criticism about his work as an actor, he is disturbed by the invasion into his private life. “You can critique my performances but commenting on my family’s personal matters crosses a line,” he said.

He ended the video saying if “my family has to suffer such trolls, I apologise to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and announce that I will never play the role of Maharaj in the future”. Incidentally, two other feature films on Shivaji are yet to be made by director Digpal Lanjekar, who had announced the Shri Shivraj Ashtak (series of eight films) on the Maratha empire in 2017.

Mandlekar’s video led to reactions from both the film fraternity as well as political figures.

Shalini Thackeray, general secretary of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), announced her support for the actor through a post on social media. The post stated Chinmay’s “decision to not play the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj henceforth is regretful”. “His son is 11 years old, why should Chinmay be trolled now? Where were the trollers for the last 11 years,” said Thackeray, emphasising naming a child is a personal choice.

Thackeray concluded her post, saying, “They only wanted to denigrate Marathi artistes and harass them by criticising and commenting on their personal lives. The MNS Chitrapat Sena (a union which fights for the rights of workers in Marathi and Hindi film industries), stands firmly behind Chinmay. I would request Chinmay not to pay heed to mindless trollers and continue to do good work.”

HT reached out to the director, Lanjekar, of the film series but he did not respond to repeated calls.