Marathi actor Rahul Solapurkar has apologized after facing backlash for his remarks about Shivaji and Dr. BR Ambedkar. The controversy began after a video surfaced on social media in which Solapurkar described Ambedkar as a “Brahmin” in the Vedic sense, stating, “A man who gains knowledge becomes a Brahmin. In that sense, Ambedkar was Brahmin because he gained knowledge.”
His comments sparked outrage, with NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad strongly criticizing him. “Rahul Solapurkar has now crossed all limits. He should be beaten with shoes wherever he is seen. It is people like him, driven by casteist ideologies, who have ruined Maharashtra and the country,” Awhad said in a video.
Under pressure, Solapurkar issued an apology, saying, “I apologize to everybody for my remarks. In the future, I will not make any incorrect statements about national icons.”
The actor also sparked controversy last week with comments about Shivaji’s escape from Agra Fort in 1666. He claimed that Shivaji escaped by bribing Mughal chieftains rather than hiding in a sweet box. Following protests from Maratha groups, Solapurkar resigned as a trustee of the Pune-based Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.
“I regret using the word ‘bribe’ and hurting the sentiments of the admirers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” he said.
