Lav Kush Ramlila drops Poonam Pandey for Mandodari’s role after backslash from VHP, BJP

After backslash from ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the organisers of Lav Kush Ramlila committee decided to part ways with actress Poonam Pandey who was offered to play the role of Mandodari (Ravana’s wife) in Delhi’s 46-year-old Ramlila.

In a letter to Ramlila committee, BJP’s spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor and VHP’s regional head Surendra Jain had said that considering her controversial past, casting Ms. Pandey in the mythological epic will hurt the religious sentiments of people.

Speaking to media on Tuesday (September 23, 2025), Arjun Kumar, president of Lav Kush Ramlila Committee, which organises Ramlila at Red Fort, said that due to the opposition by the people of the Hindu community, the organisers have decided to change the actor who would play Mandodari. He said that Ms. Pandey has been communicated about the change.