Prakash Raj responds to criticism over mother's funeral
What's the story
Actor Prakash Raj recently responded to social media criticism over his mother's Christian funeral, despite having previously identified as an atheist. His mother, Suvarnalatha (86), died on March 29 due to age-related ailments. The funeral was held in Bengaluru on March 31 according to Christian rituals. Emotional images and videos from the service circulated online, with the actor appearing visibly distraught.
Defense
'Who am I to deny her...' the actor said
In response to the criticism, Raj set the record straight. He wrote, "Yes. I don't believe in god...but my mother believed in her god. Who am I to deny her...the right to be buried according to her belief." "This is the basic respect we give one another. Will you hate mongering monsters understand this #justasking."
Twitter Post
See the post here
Yes. I don’t believe in
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) Aprilin her god . god .. but my mother believed Who am i to deny her .. the right to be buried according to her belief. This is the basic respect we give one another. Will you Hate mongering monsters understand this #justaskinghttps://t.co/vD1GhySf3M2, 2026
Personal history
More on Raj's mother
Suvarnalatha, a native of Karnataka, reportedly grew up as an orphan in a Christian family. She worked as a nurse at a hospital during her early years and met her husband there. The couple had three kids. Earlier, the actor had opened up about his mother's health issues, revealing that she was once diagnosed with a brain cyst, which led to severe memory loss after surgery.