India, Sept. 24 -- The Luv Kush Ramlila Committee in Delhi has decided to drop actor Poonam Pandey from playing the role of Mandodari, wife of Ravana, in this year's Ramleela following opposition from several groups.
Speaking at a press conference here 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."
"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," he said. The committee respects Pandey as an artist but has decided that another ...