BJP leader and the chief of Kalki Peeth, Acharya Pramod Krishnam, who was expelled from Congress early this year, says, “for me, all female actors like Monica Bedi, or Hema Malini, or Rati Agnihotri are Devis (goddesses)”. He said, Monica Bedi, who was arrested with gangster Abu Salem, “did not commit any crime and yet she suffered more punishment than the terrorist.”
Appearing in Rajat Sharma’s iconic TV show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ to be telecast on India TV tonight, Acharya Pramod Krishnam disclosed how he tried his hand in Mumbai film industry 40 years ago, when he was young, by acting and writing lyrics.
He said: “Actor toh sabhi banna chahte hain, kuch ban patey hain, kuch nahin ban patey hain. Jisey aap jaise director mil jaaye, who phir actor ban jata hai” (Everybody wants to become an actor, some succeed, some do not, those who get a director like you, can become an actor)
Rajat Sharma: You invested much of your family money in films?
Acharya: Yes, I did not become a faqeer (mendicant) today. I was a faqeer since childhood.
Rajat Sharma: When you failed to become a hero, you tried writing lyrics for films?
Acharya: Not tried.. I wrote several lyrics. Writing lyrics, doing sher-o-shayari during those days was the fashion.
Rajat Sharma: Tell us about the ‘naagin’ on whom you wrote the lyrics.
Acharya: It was 30 to 40 years ago. The ‘naagin’s poison must have ended by now.. Went to Mumbai, met the great singer Kishore Kumar and he sang one of my songs. There are two lines ..‘Mehki hui zulfen, mehfil pe chhaa rahi hai, zaalim teri adayen, dil ko lubha rahi hai..”
Rajat Sharma: It may be 40 years ago But I know you still sing the song ‘Tu cheez badi hai mast mast’ in your ashram even today?
Acharya: Whether it is ashram, or your home, if any part of your life is devoid of music or dance, life is of no worth. Look at our Sanatan Bharat culture, civilization and Sanskar. Who didn’t dance? Who didn’t sing? Meera danced, Radha danced, Gopis and our Lord danced and the God of Gods Mahadev is called Natraj. Even you would like to sing and dance.
Rajat Sharma: But a sadhu singing ‘Tu cheez badi hai, mast mast’. Isn’t this surprising?
Acharya: In Ramayana, it’s written, everybody has his own way of looking at things. The world reveres Lord Ram, and we worship him as Ram, but some even refuse to recognize that he ever existed.
Rajat Sharma: My question is, when Hema Malini comes to your ashram, how do you look at her?
Acharya: Whether it’s Hema Malini or Monica Bedi or anybody else….
Rajat Sharma: Rati Agnihotri? Padmini Kolhapure?
Acharya: Main in sab mein Devi Ka Darshan Karta Hoon. (I view the goddess in all of them). Our Sanatan shastras say, Yatra Naryastu Pujyante, Tatra Ramantey Devata (Gods reside where women are worshipped). Where women are not worshipped in homes, or localities or streets, there cannot be prosperity).
When Rajat Sharma pointed out that actor Monica Bedi was arrested with gangster Abu Salem, Acharya Pramod Krishnam replied: “ Monica Bedi ne koi gunaah nahin kiya. Agar kiya, usey dhokaa dene wale aatankwadi Abu Salem ne kiya tha, Aur jitni sazaa us aatankwadi ko mili, us sey kayi guna sazaa Monica Bedi ne bhogi. Lekin Bharat ki Sarvochh Adalat ne usey bari kar diya. Monica Bedi ko Monica Bedi hone ka privilege mat do. Lekin Monica Bedi ko Monica Bedi hone ki sazaa bhi mat do.” (Monica Bedi did not commit any crime. She was cheated by terrorist Abu Salem, and she suffered more punishment then that terrorist. But the Supreme Court acquitted her, I say, Do not give Monica Bedi the privilege of being Monica Bedi, but, at the same time, do no punish her for being Monica Bedi).
(Actor Monica Bedi and terrorist Abu Salem were arrested by Interpol in Portugal in 2002, where they served prison sentences for entering the country using forged documents. Two years later, a Portugal court cleared their extradition to India for Abu Salem to face trial in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. Both of them were handed over to India in 2005. Monica Bedi was convicted of passport forgery by an Indian court in 2006. In 2010, Supreme Court upheld her conviction but reduced her prison term to the period that she had already served.)
When Rajat Sharma said, “your ashram is like a film studio, where film stars come and dance”, the Acharya replied: “It is a holy place. Lord Vishnu will have his tenth incarnation as Kalki Avatar at my place Kalki Dham in Sambhal (UP). It is written in Kalki Puraan. … Let me tell you. When I first met Hema Malini, she told me, I am a devotee of Lord Krishna and since it is Krishna who will appear as the tenth incarnation Kalki, she would like to present a dance drama on Radha Krishna in my ashram. She did. She also advised me to get a film produced on Kalki Avatar.”
Asked about why the then UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav ordered his tent to be uprooted at Kalki Dham, Acharya replied: “The shilanyas for Shri Kalki Dham was to be done on November 7, 2016, and all preparations were complete. Thousands of sadhus and lakhs of devotees came there. On November 6, 2016 night, Akhilesh Yadav’s government clamped restrictions and uprooted the tents. But look at the great benevolence of the Lord. His own tent (government) got uprooted, and till today, he is yet to come back to power.”