Simran Bhandrup claims harassment at Lalbaugcha Raja; calls it a ‘really disheartening experience’
Television actor Simran Bhandrup, best known for her role in Pandya Store, used social media to bring the incident into light, and express her disappointment.
Television actor Simran Bhandrup, best known for her role in Pandya Store, had a harrowing experience when she visited Mumbai’s famous Lalbaugcha Raja pandal, claiming the staff manhandled her and her mother. Also read: Pandya Store actor Simran Bhandrup receives rape threats online, files FIR: 'These were a group of kids aged 13-14'
The actor took to Instagram to share a video of the pandal staff pushing her after she called them out for snatching her mother's phone. She called the incident “unacceptable”.
Looking back at the incident
Simran started the note by writing, “Really Disheartening Experience at Lalbagh Cha Raja Darshan. Today, I visited Lalbagh Cha Raja with my mother to seek blessings, but our experience was marred by the unacceptable behaviour of the staff".
The actor added, “A man from the organization snatched my mother’s phone while she was clicking the picture (she was In The queue behind me not that she was taking any extra time as It was my turn for the Darshan), and when she tried to retrieve it, he pushed her. I intervened, and the bouncers rough-handled me, when I started recording this behavior of them they tried snatching my phone too (it’s In this video where I am yelling “Mat Karo! Kya Kar Rahe ho aap) . It was only when they discovered I’m an actor that they backed off”.
The actor feels the incident needs to be highlighted for awareness and accountability.
“People visit such places with good intentions, seeking positivity and blessings. Instead, we were met with aggression and disrespect. I understand that managing crowds is challenging, but it’s the staff’s responsibility to maintain order without misbehaving or harming devotees,” she said.
Simran shared that she decided to share the video to bring attention to the issue. “And hope it serves as a wake-up call for event organizers and staff to treat visitors with dignity and respect. Let’s work together to create a safer, more positive environment for everyone,” she added.
Simran’s fans and friends expressed their shock over the incident in the comments section of the post.
About Simran’s work
Simran found popularity on the small screen through the role of Rishita Dwivedi Pandya. Her character broke the relationship between the show's lead characters--Raavi and Dev. She has also featured in Nazar (2018) and Fuh se Fantasy (2019).