‘Jana Gana Mana praises British king: Vande Mataram should be anthem’
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New Delhi: Actor and producer Mukesh Khanna, known for his roles in the television series Shaktimaan and Mahabharat, has reignited controversy by calling for Vande Mataram to replace Jana Gana Mana as India’s national anthem.
Speaking to ANI, Khanna described the ongoing debate over Vande Mataram as unnecessary and reiterated his earlier claim that Jana Gana Mana was composed under British rule in praise of the then-British monarch. He argued that the reference to the “ruler of the minds of the people” in the anthem was directed at King George V.
Khanna said a literal reading of Jana Gana Mana raises questions about whom the song was originally addressing. In contrast, he argued that Vande Mataram, with its expression of devotion and love for the motherland, deserved greater national significance.
He also linked his argument to India’s colonial legacy, saying the country continued to give excessive importance to English education despite having its own rich educational traditions.
Khanna had made similar claims in an earlier interview with IANS, where he argued that Jana Gana Mana was written as a tribute to the British monarchy. His remarks, however, drew widespread ridicule on social media, with users pointing out a glaring historical problem in his claim.
Critics noted that Khanna had referred to Queen Elizabeth while discussing the song, although Elizabeth II was born in 1926, whereas Jana Gana Mana was first sung publicly in 1911.
The actor has nevertheless stood by his broader argument for replacing the national anthem with Vande Mataram.