It Was Ranbir Kapoor And Alia Bhatt's Decision To Not Go Inside Mahakaleshwar Temple: MP Home Minister

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt visited Ujjain on Tuesday to offer their prayers at the Mahakaleshwar Temple but their visit was cut short due to the protest outside the temple's gate.

Along with Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, Brahmastra stars Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, and Mouni Roy in pivotal roles.

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New Delhi: Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt visited Ujjain on Tuesday to offer their prayers at the Mahakaleshwar Temple but their visit was cut short due to the protest outside the temple's gate. The protestors gathered at the entrance meant for VVIPs and prevented the actors' visit. Police had resorted to cane-charge to disperse the protesters. 

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra has now said that nobody had stopped the actors from taking darshan but they decided against visiting the temple due to the protest. 

The protest by right-wing activists was over Ranbir’s past statement on beef-eating that resurfaced on social media recently.  

“The protest is a different matter. There was no restriction on them to offer prayers (at the temple). Other persons accompanying the actor couple had offered prayers and all arrangements were in place,” Mishra, who is the state government's spokesman, was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI.  

He said the local administration told him that Ranbir and Alia were requested to visit the temple "but it was their decision not to go there because of the protest". 

He also said artists and actors should avoid making such remarks that can hurt the sentiments of the people. 

Amid the demonstration, 'Brahmastra' director Ayan Mukherjee took darshan of the deity on Tuesday night, temple priest Ashish Pujari said. 

With the boycott trend in Bollywood, Ayan Mukerji's directorial is facing a lot of backlash as netizens are trending the hashtag for various reasons. 'Brahmastra' has been in the making for over four years and is one of the most anticipated films in Bollywood. Based on the mythological story of Astras, Brahmastra is being made as a trilogy, with Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt as the protagonists. 

Along with Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, the film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, and Mouni Roy in pivotal roles. The film also has a cameo appearance by Shah Rukh Khan. 

(With inputs from PTI)