Mumbai, Sep 28 (IANS) Actor Dev Sharma, who was recently seen portraying Lord Ram in Shri Ramayan Katha, recalled a memorable incident from 2024 during the Ram Mandir inauguration.

He recalled when he was shooting in Nainital and witnessed what he described as a fine display of Hindu-Muslim unity during celebrations linked to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Recalling his experience from Nainital, Dev said he was shooting near the Naina Devi temple when he was hearing reports of tensions and riots in different parts of the country.

“I would like to say one thing. When the Ayodhya temple was being built in 2024, I was shooting in Nainital. If you have been there, there is the Naina Devi temple in Nainital. And on the way to the Naina Devi temple, there is a very big mosque on the corner. I was hearing everywhere that riots were happening somewhere, this was happening somewhere, that was happening somewhere,” Dev said.

He recalled how a Ram yatra began from the Naina Devi temple, with the procession passing close to the mosque.

“During that time, a few things happened, and people told us, ‘Don’t go through that area. You have come here to shoot. Today is the construction of the Ram Mandir, so keep watching,’” he said.

Dev said he was surprised by what unfolded as the procession moved ahead.

“The Ram ji yatra had started from the Naina Devi temple, with people saying, ‘Jai Shri Ram.’ The mosque was right there, and there were gates on both sides. The whole mosque was full because their prayers had just ended. Everyone felt that something was going to happen because the whole crowd had gathered there,” he recalled.

According to Dev, the situation unfolded very differently from what people around him had anticipated. He said Muslims who had gathered at the mosque came out and joined the celebrations.

“You won’t believe it. I would like to tell all the audience of India, all the viewers, all the people: every Muslim, whether he was wearing a cap or not, came out and danced to the song of Lalla Shri Ram,” Dev said.

“And they danced in such a way that we were amazed by how happy they were. We were wondering, ‘What is happening?’ So maybe this is the work of Modi ji, that he has brought everyone together. And when I saw this, I was shaken,” he added.

“I still get goosebumps because whenever I remember it, I am surprised. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians, these identities are created by humans. God is the same for everyone,” he said.

“So, the way Hindus and Muslims accepted this at that time was commendable to me,” Dev added.

Dev Sharma was recently seen portraying Lord Ram in Shri Ramayan Katha, where his portrayal and screen presence received positive responses.

The film itself faced criticism from sections of the audience over its treatment of the source material, with viewers questioning its historical and mythological accuracy, storytelling and what they described as deviations from established accounts. The movie directed by Abhishek Singh, also stars Anjali Arora, Sheela Verma and Rajneesh Duggal.

–IANS

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