Actor Prakash Raj recently addressed criticism on social media after performing the funeral of his mother according to Christian rituals, despite having previously described himself as an 'atheist'. The actor’s mother, Suvarnalatha, passed away on March 29 at the age of 86 due to age-related ailments. Her funeral was held in Bengaluru on March 31. Several emotional photos and videos from the funeral service, held at a church, soon surfaced online, showing the actor visibly heartbroken as he bid farewell to his mother.
However, amid the condolences, some users on the social media platform X began trolling the actor. They circulated an old video in which Prakash Raj had called himself an atheist and questioned why he conducted the funeral following Christian traditions.
One user wrote, "Prakash Raj Calls himself an atheist & says he doesn't believe in God. Yet performs his mother's last rites following Christian traditions."
Responding to the criticism, the actor shared a strong message on X, explaining that the rituals were performed to honour his mother’s faith. 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."
Suvarnalatha’s passing has drawn attention to the personal struggles she faced over the years. The actor had earlier spoken about her health challenges, revealing that she was once diagnosed with a brain cyst. She later underwent surgery, which reportedly led to severe memory loss. Following the procedure, she struggled to recognise even close members of her family.
Born in Karnataka, Suvarnalatha reportedly grew up as an orphan and came from a Christian family background. In her early years, she worked as a nurse at a hospital, where she met the man who would later become her husband. Their friendship gradually developed into a relationship, and the couple eventually got married.
Together, they built a family and had three children. Prakash Raj was the eldest, followed by a daughter and a son. Throughout her life, Suvarnalatha remained a strong pillar for her family, supporting her children through different stages of their lives.
On the professional front, Prakash Raj has continued to remain active in the film industry. The actor was recently seen in films such as Devara: Part 1 and They Call Him OG, while his latest screen appearance was in Seetha Payanam. He is also expected to play an important role in an upcoming project starring Mahesh Babu and directed by S. S. Rajamouli, tentatively titled Varanasi.
