Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, who converted to Islam after marrying cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, has said that the nation should stick to the first two stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’, arguing that references to Hindu deities in the remaining portions may be difficult for those who believe in one God. Her remarks have once again raised questions over why Hindu religious expressions are expected to be trimmed or accommodated to avoid offending the sensibilities of other faiths.
Speaking to IANS on Thursday, 20 August 2026, Tagore said that many religious people in India believe in a single God and may therefore find references to multiple Hindu deities in the song difficult to accept.
“My point of view is that there are many religious people who believe in one single God, not many Gods. In ‘Vande Mataram’, there is a stanza which says that many Gods are mentioned in ‘Vande Mataram’”
“It is difficult for those who believe in one religion to say, ‘Vande Kali, Vande Durga’. Therefore, if we take all the religious people in India together, the first two stanzas are very good”, she added.
“Vande Mataram is difficult to recite for those who believe in one God” says actress Sharmila Tagore, mother of Saif Ali Khan
On a daily basis, Hindus are subjected to hearing 5 daily Namaz prayers
How many times will only Hindus have to make sacrifices to please and appease… pic.twitter.com/TBDRijDSdT
— Tushar ॐ♫₹ (@Tushar_KN) August 20, 2026
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