Mumbai: Actor Bhumi Pednekar has found herself at the centre of an online controversy after sharing photos and videos from her visit to a Shiv temple.
On Thursday, the actor took to Instagram to post glimpses of herself offering prayers and pouring water over the Shivling. However, it was her decision to wear sunglasses during the ritual that caught the internet’s attention.
“As Sawan begins, I pray not for an easier life, but for the strength to walk it with grace. Har Har Mahadev,” she captioned the post.
The pictures and videos quickly went viral, with several social media users accusing Bhumi of treating the temple visit like a photoshoot.
“Sunglasses utar ke pooja kar sakte the (You could have offered prayers without the sunglasses),” one user commented.
“Never saw anyone wearing goggles and doing pooja,” wrote another.
“Mandir mein bhagwan ki bhakti kar rahe hai ya photoshoot? (Are you worshipping in the temple or doing a photoshoot?)” asked a third.
“Next time, do puja without sunglasses inside the temple, please,” another user wrote.
Bhumi has not responded to the criticism yet.
Earlier this week, the actor appealed to people to support relief efforts for flood-ravaged Assam. Sharing a series of videos on Instagram, she highlighted the scale of the devastation, including inundated villages, mass displacement, and the mounting death toll.
“This time, Assam needs us. Assam needs a lot of supplies—food, mattresses, sanitation, and evacuation. If you see the visuals, your heart will break. It is very, very heartbreaking, and Assam really needs our support. I request everyone to donate as much as possible and help spread this message,” she wrote.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s office thanked Bhumi for extending support to those affected by the floods, commenting, “Thank you, Bhumi, for standing with Assam in this difficult time. Your support means a great deal to every affected family.”
On the work front, Bhumi was last seen in Prime Video’s crime thriller Daldal, directed by Amrit Raj Gupta.
In the series, she played DCP Rita Ferreira, a determined police officer tasked with tracking down a ruthless serial killer who murders victims by slitting their wrists.