Delhi Ramleela Committee Drops Poonam Pandey from Mandodari Role

The Luv Kush Ramleela Committee in Delhi has decided to remove actor Poonam Pandey from the role of Mandodari, wife of Ravana, in this year’s Ramleela performance following opposition from several groups.

Speaking at a press conference at the Constitutional Club of India, committee president Arjun Kumar said, “An artist should be judged by their work and not their past; the decision was reviewed in light of public sentiment.”

He added, “Every woman has a role to play in society and should not be humiliated. Initially, we believed Poonam Pandey could positively portray Mandodari. But considering the uproar among certain sections, we had to reconsider.”

The committee’s decision comes amid debates over the appropriateness of casting certain public figures in traditional roles, highlighting the delicate balance between artistic expression and societal expectations in cultural performances.