Kangana Ranaut on Gyanvapi mosque row: 'Lord Shiva doesn't need a structure, he's in every particle'

Kangana Ranaut is the latest celebrity to share her take on the controversy around Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi Mosque.

Actor Kangana Ranaut visited Varanasi ahead of the release of her film Dhaakad, on Wednesday. She was joined by her co-stars Arjun Rampal and Divya Dutta as well for the visit. After the darshan, Kangana was surrounded by media persons, who asked her for her views on the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi Mosque controversy currently raging in the country.

Kangana Ranaut, Arjun Rampal and Divya Dutta perform 'Ganga Aarti' before the release of their upcoming film Dhaakad, at Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi. (PTI)

On Monday, a Varanasi court had ordered the sealing of a pond in the Gyanvapi Masjid complex after lawyers representing the Hindu petitioners said a Shivling was found there during the court-mandated videography survey. However, a mosque management committee member disputed the claim, saying the object was part of the water fountain mechanism at the 'wazookhana' reservoir where devotees carry out ablutions before offering namaz. The mosque is located close to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and the court there is hearing a plea by a group of women seeking permission for daily prayers before the idols on its outer walls.

Kangana Ranaut often gives her hot take on national and social issues through her Instagram page or media interviews. She recently added to the debate around claims that Hindi is the national language and even stood by Mahesh Babu for his comment that Bollywood cannot ‘afford’ him. She said, "He (Babu) was right that Bollywood can’t afford him, this I agree (with). I know for a fact that many filmmakers have approached him."

“His generation has singlehandedly made Telugu industry the number one film industry in India. Now, Bollywood definitely can’t afford him. I don’t see why this should be made into a huge controversy,” Kangana said. “He (Babu) has only shown a lot of respect towards his industry and we can’t deny that Telugu films have grown in the last 10-15 years… They didn’t get anything on a platter. We only have lots to learn from them,” she said.

Dhaakad stars Kangana as a spy and will release on Friday.