MUMBAI: Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut has responded to veteran actor Sharmila Tagore’s recent remarks on ‘Vande Mataram’, arguing that the national song should not be interpreted solely through a religious lens.Ranaut on Thursday shared a video of Tagore’s interview on her Instagram Stories and said she respected the veteran actor’s right to have reservations about the song. However, she disagreed with Tagore’s interpretation of the poem, saying artistic works often use metaphors and imagination to convey broader ideas.Ranaut said ‘Vande Mataram’, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, represented the spirit of India’s freedom struggle and called on people to awaken their inner strength.She questioned how the poem could be reduced to a religious practice, arguing that references to ‘Shakti’ in poetry could also be understood as symbols of strength and power.Ranaut also invoked Swami Vivekananda’s description of youth possessing immense strength, saying his words were not a literal reference to physical phenomena but a call for people to awaken their inner power.Urging people to move beyond a “Hindu-Muslim mindset”, Ranaut said discussions around ‘Vande Mataram’ should recognize its artistic and symbolic dimensions.The controversy over ‘Vande Mataram’ followed video footage from the Congress headquarters showing party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi conversing while the national song was being rendered during Independence Day celebrations on August 15. The BJP accused the Congress leadership of disrespecting ‘Vande Mataram’ and demanded a public apology.(With ANI inputs)
