Name of Marathi actor’s son triggers debate on social media in poll season
The name of Marathi actor’s 11-year-old son has triggered a debate on social media with political contours amid the poll fever picking up
Pune: The name of Marathi actor’s 11-year-old son has triggered a debate on social media with political contours amid the poll fever picking up.
Marathi actor Chinmay Mandlekar on Sunday announced that he will not continue casting for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s role due to the trolling he faced over naming his son “Jehangir”. The trolling and Mandlekar’s outrage on social media has become an issue of debate between right-wing and Congress supporters amid a poll season
Even though their son was named Jehangir eleven years ago, the recent attention has caused a debate on social media between left-wing and right-wing supporters.
Jehangir is India’s fourth Mughal emperor and son of Akbar. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj spent most of his life in conflict with the Mughal Empire.
Neha Joshi-Mandlekar, wife of the actor, in a video said that Jehangir in Persian means “conqueror of the world” that prompted them to name their son.
Reacting to the trolling on social media, Mandlekar, who has in the past acted in six films and played a role of the Maratha warrior king, posted a video and said that the trolling has affected the family emotionally and mentally.
“I have been trolled for playing the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and naming my son Jehangir. Our family has faced relentless criticism and negativity due to his name, causing us significant distress. I have been fortunate to receive admiration and accolades for portraying Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, both in Maharashtra and beyond. If due to this role my family is facing distress, I respectfully announce that I will no longer accept roles portraying him,” he said in the video.
Shalini Thackeray, general secretary, MNS Working President, came up in support of Mandlekar, said, “Even before this, many great personalities in this country were named Jehangir. They only want to demoralise Marathi artistes and harass them by criticising and commenting on their personal lives. I and MNS Chitrapat Sena stand firmly for Chinmay. I would request Chinmay not to mind these mindless trollers on social media and keep up the good work.”
Kiran Mane, an actor who recently joined Shiv Sena, also reacted to the post of Mandlekar’s wife. “There was a very small, minor trolling on Chinmay Mandlekar the other day. Actually, this is wrong, but it was very mild compared to what happen in general these days.”
Congress supporter Pratik S Patil, said, “Chinmay Mandlekar happily made films like Kashmir Files that spread propaganda. While spreading hatred in others’ house, the embers of it have entered his house too.” In Kashmir Files, Mandlekar has played a militant commander banishing Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley during the 1990s.
Personalities from Marathi film industry like Avdhoot Gupte, Rutuja Deshmukh, Mandar Bhide, Ravi Jadhav and Siddharth Chandekar amongst others have stood in support of the Mandlekar family and posted on social media.
