Television actress Simran Budharup, known for her role in 'Kumkum Bhagya', recently shared a disturbing experience she had at Mumbai's famous Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh pandal. Accompanied by her mother, the actress found herself in a difficult situation that left her shaken.
Simran Budharup shares video of the incident at Lalbaugcha Raja on Instagram
Simran took to Instagram and shared a video of the incident, in which she can be seen in a heated exchange with the bouncers and one of the bouncers pushed the actress. She also wrote about the incident in the caption, "Today, I visited Lalbagh Cha Raja with my mother to seek blessings, but our experience was marred by the unacceptable behavior of the staff. A man from the organisation 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."
What happened with Simran Budharup at Lalbaugcha Raja
Simran also spoke to the IANS and narrated the incident in detail. She said, "I went with my mother, my co-actor, and his family for darshan at Lalbaug. We had arranged to go through someone who could take us inside, but due to the overwhelming crowd, my friend Mohit got separated. While waiting for him, we were pushed onto the stage for darshan because of the rush."
She explained that the situation escalated because those present didn’t recognise her as an actress. "My mother was trying to take a picture of me, and before my turn even came, a male sevak forcibly grabbed her phone. When she tried to get it back, he shoved her. I saw this and immediately confronted him, telling him, 'You cannot treat my mother like this.'"
Simran described how tensions heightened further when a group of female bouncers intervened. "They told me the man was a senior citizen, but I stood my ground, saying that doesn't justify such behaviour. Then, female bouncers pushed me out. I got really upset and began recording the incident, but one of the bouncers tried to snatch my phone too, telling me, 'Your mother is not special.' It was a humiliating and distressing experience."
The actress made it clear that she’s no stranger to crowded spaces, having stood in long queues for darshan in the past, but she draws the line at being treated poorly. "I wasn’t born with a silver spoon, and I’m not afraid of the crowd. But I won’t tolerate misbehaviour."
"I understand the way celebrities are treated in these situations, but all we ask for is a peaceful moment to pray. People travel from far away and wait for hours, sometimes days. Can’t we at least be given a few moments to say ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’? Instead, people are being rushed and pushed," she said.
Respect, Simran emphasised, is crucial. "It’s the devotion of the devotees that brings them to God, and it’s this faith that sustains these places of worship. If people stop believing, how will it work? I have a deep belief in God, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to treat people poorly just because they hold some authority."
Despite this unsettling experience, Simran remains committed to visiting Lalbaugcha Raja in the future. "I’ll continue to visit my God. Everyone has the right to worship. I won’t stop going, but next time, I hope for a VVIP darshan because that seems like the only way to peacefully reach God."
Simran concluded with a message to the organisers of the event, urging them to rethink their crowd management strategies. "This event has been happening for years. It’s time for a better system, maybe a ticket or token system. What’s in place now isn’t working. People come here seeking peace and positivity, but they’re leaving with frustration. That’s not right," she said.