Atharva Sudame Controversy | Atharva Sudame Ganeshotsav Reel | Brahman Mahasangh

Atharva Sudame, a popular Marathi content creator from Pune known for his Marathi reels, recently found himself at the centre of a major online storm. Ahead of Ganeshotsav 2025, he released a video that was meant to promote Hindu-Muslim unity. However, what was intended as a message of harmony soon sparked widespread debate, drawing criticism from some quarters and support from others. The incident quickly turned into the Atharva Sudame controversy, raising questions about creative freedom, religious sensitivity, and the power of social media.


Atharva Sudame, who has 1.7 million followers on Instagram and 1.3 million subscribers on youtube has recently posted a reel on Instagram Ganeshotsav festival. The reel in question, which has since been deleted by him, showed Mr. Atharva Sudame playing the role of a devotee in search of a Ganpati idol. As he was about to make the purchase after hearing the quoted price, a small boy wearing a skullcap ran up to the idol maker and offered him his lunch. The sudden moment brought an awkward silence. Breaking it, the idol maker told Mr. Sudame that he was free to look for idols in other shops along the street. To this, Mr. Sudame gently replied that the idol must surely have been created with good intentions.



Responding to the seller, Sudame’s character delivers a dialogue inspired by his father’s teachings, "We should be like sugar, which sweetens both kheer and sheer khurma. We should be like a brick, which builds both temples and mosques. ("आपण साखरेसारखे असावे, जे खीर आणि शीर खुरमा दोन्ही गोड करते. आपण विटेसारखे असावे, जे मंदिर आणि मशीद दोन्ही बांधते.")". The intention behind the reel was clearly to spread a message of togetherness and cultural harmony.



The backlash began after a Facebook page named Jaysing Mohan shared a post targeting Sudame. This page accused Sudame of “spreading filth” and damaging Pune’s reputation, even warning that he would face repercussions for years to come. Soon after, several religious and conservative groups joined in, including some Hindutva-aligned factions, who argued that such content diluted religious traditions. The Brahman Mahasangh also entered the debate, with its representative Anand Dave remarking that Sudame should focus only on entertainment instead of commenting on sensitive matters of faith, adding that Hindus already know when and from whom to buy idols (तू करमणूक कर, लोकांना हसवं, त्याचं मनोरंजन कर आणि स्वत:चं पोट भर... अभ्यास नसलेल्या गोष्टीत न पडलेलं बरं...असा सल्लाही दवेंनी अर्थवला दिलाय. तसंच दुधात टाकलेली साखर हे साखरेचं काम करतेय की विषाचं, हे गेली ७००-८०० वर्षे हिंदू धर्म भोगतोय, त्यामुळं गणपती कोणाकडून घ्यायचे, कसे बनवायचे, याकडं तू लक्ष देऊ नसतो. तू तुझा करमणुकीचा धंदा कर, तेवढ्यापर्यंतच मर्यादित राहा...असंही त्यांनी म्हटलंय.).



Owing to mounting criticism, threats, and pressure, Atharva Sudame decided to delete the controversial reel from his social media accounts. Soon after, he issued a public apology. In his statement, he clarified that his intention was never to hurt anyone’s religious sentiments. He explained that his content has always been focused on culture, festivals, and traditions, and he respects all communities equally. His apology was heartfelt, with a clear emphasis that the message behind the reel was meant to inspire unity, not division.

At the same time, Sudame also received strong support from several prominent voices. Lawyer and activist Asim Sarode defended him, saying that deleting the reel under pressure was a mistake. Sarode even contacted Raj Thackeray, reminding people that the MNS chief himself had earlier praised Sudame. Rohit Pawar, leader of NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), also backed the influencer, stating that if the reel carried a message of Hindu-Muslim unity, then trolling and negativity should not be encouraged. This sharp divide of opinions turned the issue into a trending controversy across Maharashtra.





Tag: Atharva Sudame Controversy, Atharva Sudame Ganeshotsav Reel, Atharva Sudame Deleted Ganeshotsav Reel, Brahman Mahasangh Atharva Sudame



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