Actor Simran Budharup, best known for featuring in the TV show Kumkum Bhagya, recently visited Mumbai's famous Lalbaugcha Raja pandal for Ganesh Chaturthi festivities. She documented moments from her visit and described it as a "really disheartening experience." The actor revealed in her extensive Instagram post that a security personnel took away the phone from her mother's hand, adding how the staff mistreated them. An excerpt from her post read, "Today, I visited Lalbagh Cha Raja (sic) with my mother to seek blessings, but our experience was marred by the unacceptable behavior of the staff. A man from the organization snatched my mother's phone while she was clicking the picture (she was in the queue behind me not that she was taking any extra time as It was my turn for the Darshan), and when she tried to retrieve it, he pushed her."
Simran Budharup mentioned in her post that she had to intervene, adding that the "bouncers rough-handled me." Ms Budharup decided to document it on her phone, after which the staff tried snatching her phone too. She wrote, "It's In this video where I am yelling Mat Karo! Kya Kar Rahe ho aap. It was only when they discovered I'm an actor that they backed off."
The actor emphasised on highlighting "the need for awareness and accountability." She wrote in her post, "People visit such places with good intentions, seeking positivity and blessings. Instead, we were met with aggression and disrespect. I understand that managing crowds is challenging, but it's the staff's responsibility to maintain order without misbehaving or harming devotees."
She signed off the post with these words, "I'm sharing this to bring attention to the issue and hope it serves as a wake-up call for event organizers and staff to treat visitors with dignity and respect. Let's work together to create a safer, more positive environment for everyone."
Several Bollywood as well as television celebrities visit Lalbaugcha Raja ever year during Ganesh Chaturthi. This year, Vicky Kaushal, Kartik Aaryan, Esha Deol, among other celebs were the visitors at the pandal.