One of the few bright spots amid the COVID-19 pandemic has been the return of Ramayan and Mahabharat on TV. Viewers have been glued to the iconic shows, resulting in the former witnessing the highest TV ratings for a TV show since 2015. While the audience has been enjoying the show, Sonakshi Sinha has become a talking point too, as her failure to answer a question from the epic text on Kaun Banega Crorepati had invited intense trolling a few months ago. After netizens poked fun at the actor after the show’s return was announced, the recent episode made Twitteratti have more fun at the Dabangg star’s expense.
For the unversed, Sonakshi was asked the question, “According to Ramayana, Hanuman fetched the Sanjeevani Buti (herb) for whom?” on KBC in September and the options were Sugriv, Lakshman, Sita, and Rama. She did not know the answer, which was Lakshman, and had taken a lifeline.
Host Amitabh Bachchan had also jokingly expressed surprise, stating that her father Shatrughan Sinha and his brothers Ram, Lakshman and Bharat were all named after characters from Ramayan. In fact, their house is also named Ramayan, Big B had said on the show.
Netizens felt DD was trolling Sonakshi by asking the same question and even made memes on it. With ‘Shaktiman’ Mukesh Khanna also stating the return of the show could help those like Sonakshi learn, many felt DD also joined the bandwagon. Interestingly, one of the options this time was Shatrughan and one wondered if that was intentionally put to troll Sonakshi. As poll results showed 97 percent giving the right answer, but 2 percent voting for Sugriv and Shatrughan, many shared that Sonakshi was ‘not alone.’
THE INCIDENT
Sonakshi Sinha appeared on Amitabh Bachchan’s game show Kaun Banega Crorepati in September last year. She was asked, ‘according to Ramayana, Hanuman fetched the Sanjeevani booti (herb) for whom?” She got confused between four options – Sugriva, Lakshmana, Sita and Rama. The actor took a lifeline to answer the question. Host Amitabh also schooled the actor and told her, “Aapke pitaji ka naam hai Shatrughan, aap jis ghar me rehti hain, uska naam hai Ramayana. Aapke jitne chacha hain, wo sab Ramayan se sambandhit hain, Aapko ye nahi pata ki Lakshman ke liye laaye the jadibooti? (Your father and uncles names are derived from Ramayan, you live in a house called Ramayana. How do you not know for whom did Hanuman bring Jadibooti?)”
Sonakshi then replied, “Mujhe laga tha, lekin mai inke liye bahut nervous thi to chance nahi lena chahti thi (I thought it should be Lakshman but did not want to take any chance).” Sonakshi’s mother Poonam Sinha laughed through the entire discussion as she sat among the audience.
People trolled Sonakshi Sinha
Many people trolled Sonakshi Sinha on social media due to her lack of knowledge in Hindu Mythology like Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Pic 1 – What Normal People knows about Laxman rekha.
Pic 2 :- What people like Sonakshi Sinha thinks Laxman rekha is.#SonakshiSinha pic.twitter.com/CEsA4yGB9j
— PhenomenalOne (@SlayerKing_05) April 4, 2020
Seems like @DDNational has decided to troll someone 😷😷 I wanna use lifeline – call a friend. I would like to call Miss #SonakshiSinha 🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/q3QVRKRPcd
— Amit Gupta (@AmitVRaptor) April 4, 2020
Topper of Flopper #SonakshiSinha #Doordarshan pic.twitter.com/GBGePOQEr3
— shakti barot (@shaktibarot1) April 5, 2020
Mukesh Khanna, who played Bhisma Pitamah, says the return of Ramayan and Mahabharat will be useful for people who haven’t watched them before.
Actor Mukesh Khanna took a dig at Sonakshi Sinha while talking about the importance of returns of Ramayan and Mahabharat on television. Mukesh played the iconic role of Bhisma Pitamah in BR Chopra’s 90s serial Mahabharat that is now returning on Doordarshan amid the nationwide lockdown in wake of coronavirus outbreak.
“I think the return will be useful to many who haven’t watched the show earlier. It will also help people like Sonakshi Sinha who have no knowledge about our mythological sagas. People like her don’t know who did lord Hanuman get Sanjivani for. There is a video doing the rounds where few boys are asked whose Mama (uncle) was Kans and they got scared to answer. Some said Duryodhan, others said something else, so they are not aware of the mythology,” Mukesh told Times of India in an interview. Sonakshi had once raked up a controversy when she failed to name the person for whom Lord Hanuman had brought “sanjeevani” in the Ramayana epic.
#MukeshKhanna takes a dig at #SonakshiSinha, says ‘#Mahabharat, #Ramayan reruns would help people like her’https://t.co/5wrJeiJRPm
— DNA (@dna) April 4, 2020
“Just forget about Ramayan and Mahabharat, take an example of Buniyaad, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Nukkad these shows were not related to mythology but even they had good content. Look at the story, the making, performances, they still look fresh. But today nobody has time to watch. First it was about test matches, then they started playing 50 overs, now they have reduced that and started playing 20-20. Now, we are not far enough when the results will be decided on who won the toss. So, yes I feel saas-bahu sagas have played an important role in destroying the TV watching generation. There is a lack of good content on TV. I am not against women being shown in daily soaps but the way they are presented. You see any serial nowadays, you will see 1 man between 6-7 ladies and he stands like a furniture. I had promised that whenever I make a show I will have a male star cast with women in important roles. I made a show called Sautela for Doordarshan,” the veteran actor further told the daily.
AFTER WHICH MANY HAD THEIR MEMORIES REFRESHED
A user wrote, “Ramayan is being telecasted on DD national channel. Please do watch and in future don’t give the wrong answer.”
I’m proud of our history and I will re live that childhood moment by watching both Ramayan and Mahabharat 🤗🙏🏻💞✨#RamayanOnDDNational #mahabharat#sonakshisinha pic.twitter.com/CAfI0iH0Z1
— Vishwajit RB (@VishwajeetRB1) April 4, 2020
Nitish Bharadwaj, Film Actor Director Screenwriter & former Member of Parliament supportes Sonakshi Sinha and requested Mukesh Khanna not to taget her regarding her knowledge about Ramayana.
My dear friend Mukesh Khanna, why target only Sonakshi Sinha? I know you as a gentle soul. Plz see the larger picture.#MUKESHKHANNA #IAmMukeshKhanna #SonakshiSinha #Sonakshisinhaofficial #krishna @i_MukeshKhanna @sonakshisinha https://t.co/mPw2IuzW57
— Nitish Bharadwaj (@nitishkrishna8) April 6, 2020
Beautiful watch! My husband loved it and it looks sharp. People comment on it daily!