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Celebrity Guru Visits: Genuine Faith or Image Management?
A photo showed Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma visiting a spiritual teacher in 2023.
Later, someone claimed that a builder group paid money to make the teacher's ashram more popular.
Kohli's team said that claim was not true, and Falhari Baba apologised after spreading it.
People disagree about why famous actors visit temples and ashrams.
Some say stars can be sincerely looking for peace or guidance.
Others say publicity and image can sometimes be part of the visit.
One publicist says actors may get special arrangements because large crowds can make ordinary visits difficult.
The story shows that faith and fame can be hard to separate in public.
A 2023 photo of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma visiting Premanand Maharaj resurfaced amid an allegation of a Rs 5 crore payment to promote the ashram.
Kohli's team denied the allegation, and Falhari Baba later apologised after helping amplify it.
Spiritual coach Dr. Jai Madaan says controversy can prompt honest self-reflection, but spirituality can become a status symbol.
Podcast host Scott Snibbe argues celebrities may have genuine spiritual lives, while a South Indian film publicist says devotion is not simply image-building.
Publicist Ankur Ghatge says visits may be suggested or publicised around film releases, but actors make the final decision and may also seek privacy or promote devotion.
- Who
- Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, Premanand Maharaj, and commentators including spiritual coach Dr. Jai Madaan and publicists.
- What
- A 2023 celebrity visit became the subject of an allegation that Rs 5 crore was paid to promote an ashram; Kohli's team denied the allegation.
- Where
- The visit was to Premanand Maharaj's ashram; the article does not specify its location.
- When
- The visit took place in 2023; the article describes the allegation and debate in 2026.
- Why
- The alleged payment was said to be intended to boost the ashram's popularity, while commentators debate whether celebrity spiritual visits reflect faith, personal need, publicity, or a mix.
Genuine faith and personal seeking
Publicity and image management
Why celebrities visit spiritual teachers
Genuine faith and personal seeking
Dr. Jai Madaan and Scott Snibbe say celebrity visits can reflect genuine vulnerability, inner searching, or a private spiritual life.
Publicity and image management
Ankur Ghatge says publicists sometimes suggest temple visits and photographers may be called, particularly when a film release is near; such visits can also shape public perception.
Faith in the film industry
Genuine faith and personal seeking
Naidu Surendra Kumar says devotion is longstanding in Telugu cinema and is not an image-cleansing tactic.
Publicity and image management
Ghatge says spirituality can also be part of an actor's public image, while stressing that actors make the final decision.
Key facts
- Visit
- Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma visited Premanand Maharaj in 2023.
- Viral image
- A photograph showed them walking barefoot in the rain.
- Allegation
- A Rs 5 crore payment by a builder lobby to promote the ashram was alleged.
- Response
- Kohli's team denied the allegation.
- Apology
- Falhari Baba apologised after being among those amplifying the charge.
- Publicity perspective
- Ankur Ghatge said publicists sometimes suggest visits or invite photographers, including around film releases, but actors make the final decision.
Quotes
Paul McCartney
Musician and member of the Beatles, as quoted in the article about the group’s 1968 Rishikesh visit.
“What’s it all for?”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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