Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna has sparked a fresh controversy with his demand to replace India’s National Anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’, with ‘Vande Mataram’. The actor, known for playing the iconic character Shaktimaan, said he has been raising this demand for nearly three years and believes ‘Vande Mataram’ should become the country’s National Anthem. Speaking to IANS, Mukesh Khanna claimed that ‘Jana Gana Mana’ was written by Rabindranath Tagore as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth, and argued that the song does not represent the country in the way ‘Vande Mataram’ does.
Mukesh Khanna
Mukesh Khanna Demands Removal of Jan Gan Man
He said that India has accepted ‘Jana Gana Mana’, but described ‘Vande Mataram’ as a song that truly belongs to the country. Khanna also recalled his earlier demand to give the patriotic song the status of the National Anthem. Khanna went a step further and said he wants ‘Jana Gana Mana’ to be removed and ‘Vande Mataram’ adopted instead as soon as possible.
Mukesh Khanna
The actor also revealed his personal connection with ‘Vande Mataram’. He praised legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar’s rendition of the song and said he has recorded his own seven-minute version, which he hopes will become iconic. Khanna also welcomed the growing prominence of ‘Vande Mataram’ at schools and public functions. He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already started work in this direction.
Mukesh Khanna
Mukesh Khanna’s statement is his personal demand and does not reflect any change in India’s official National Anthem. As of now, ‘Jana Gana Mana’ remains India’s National Anthem, while ‘Vande Mataram’ is the National Song. The government has recently taken steps to give ‘Vande Mataram’ stronger statutory protection and has issued protocols for its use at official functions.
Mukesh Khanna
In fact, the Ministry of Home Affairs has specified that when both are performed at an official function, the National Song is followed by the National Anthem. Khanna’s comments have arrived amid renewed national discussion around ‘Vande Mataram’, particularly during the ongoing commemoration of 150 years of the song. The actor’s demand has therefore added a Bollywood angle to an already prominent national debate. However, his historical claim about ‘Jana Gana Mana’ being written as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth is disputed and should not be presented as established historical fact.