Amitabh Bachchan Criticises Media Outlet for Misrepresenting His Invocation of Lord Krishna

NEW DELHI, Nov 2: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has strongly criticised a media outlet for allegedly misrepresenting his social media post invoking Lord Krishna, accusing it of deliberately distorting his words and hurting religious sentiments.

The 84-year-old actor expressed his anger in a lengthy post on X early Monday, warning that his extensive social media following would not remain silent if his statements continued to be misinterpreted.

The controversy originated from Bachchan’s October 29 post, in which he shared the devotional expression, “Haathi ghoda palki, Jai Kanhaiya Lal ki”, invoking Lord Krishna.

However, a media outlet reportedly interpreted his words as a challenge to his opponents, suggesting that he was asking them to bring elephants and horses.

Objecting to the interpretation, Bachchan clarified that his statement was a traditional expression of devotion to Lord Krishna and had nothing to do with challenging anyone.

In his response, written in Hindi, the actor accused the publication of using a religious invocation for publicity while disregarding its actual meaning.

He described the reporting as a serious insult to the devotional expression and alleged that his words had been deliberately twisted.

Addressing media organisations, Bachchan said his social media community had more than 50 million followers and warned that even a small section of this audience could respond strongly if he gave the signal.

He wrote that around 10 per cent of his followers were prepared to stand up against what he considered deliberate misrepresentation.

The veteran actor further said that repeated attempts to distort his statements would only strengthen his followers’ determination to respond. He added that his extended online community had the capacity to react much more strongly than the original criticism.

Sharing the headline that had upset him, Bachchan questioned how the media outlet could present a devotional expression in such a manner. He also asked whether the publication understood the religious significance of the words.

The actor maintained that mistakes could happen in journalism, but responsible organisations should acknowledge them, apologise and take corrective measures. He expressed disappointment that the publication appeared unwilling to accept responsibility for its reporting.

Bachchan is among the earliest Bollywood personalities to embrace blogging as a means of communicating directly with audiences. He has maintained a regular online presence for years, frequently sharing personal reflections, greetings, memories from his film career and updates about his daily routine.

His posts sometimes contain indirect references and poetic expressions, while others offer glimpses into his professional commitments and personal experiences.

The actor affectionately refers to his followers as his extended family, commonly using the abbreviation ‘EF’. He regularly interacts with this community through his official blog and social media accounts.

On X, Bachchan has approximately 44.7 million followers, while his Instagram account has around 36.2 million followers. His combined following across platforms exceeds 50 million.

Apart from his online engagement, the veteran star continues to maintain a close connection with admirers through his weekly ‘Sunday Darshan’ tradition.

Every Sunday, fans gather outside his Mumbai residence, Jalsa, hoping to catch a glimpse of the actor. Bachchan frequently steps outside to greet the waiting crowds, making the practice a longstanding tradition for his supporters.

He continued the weekly interaction this Sunday as well, emerging from his residence to acknowledge cheering fans. However, this time he greeted them from behind bulletproof glass.

The additional security arrangement followed a threatening email reportedly sent on October 23 to Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde. The message also included Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi and allegedly threatened bomb attacks targeting Bachchan’s residence and a Mumbai venue hosting a concert by singer Diljit Dosanjh.

According to police, the email warned of a possible grenade attack on a school on October 31 and threatened to target Bachchan’s Juhu residence between October 31 and November 27.

The threats prompted security concerns surrounding the actor and led to additional precautions during his public appearance.

Although Bachchan has not indicated any intention of discontinuing his weekly interaction with fans, the use of bulletproof protection highlights the security measures being taken following the warning.

The latest controversy has once again brought attention to the actor’s strong views on responsible media reporting and the importance he places on maintaining a direct relationship with his audience.

Despite his decades-long career in Indian cinema, Bachchan remains highly active on digital platforms, where he regularly communicates with millions of admirers.

His latest remarks underline his frustration over the interpretation of his religious expression and his insistence that media organisations should report statements in their proper context rather than presenting them in a misleading manner.