Mandira Bedi gets support from Shweta Tiwari, Mini Mathur for performing Raj Kaushal’s last rites: ‘Proud of you’

Shweta Tiwari is the latest star to have come forward in support of Mandira Bedi against online trolls. Earlier this week, Mandira’s husband, producer Raj Kaushal died of a heart attack. The actor was seen performing the last rites, a ritual traditionally performed by men. She was also trolled for her choice of clothes during the funeral.

Several online users criticised Mandira Bedi for breaking tradition. However, Shweta Tiwari came forward to show her support. She took to her Instagram Stories and shared a snapshot of a post, shared by a digital creator, which supported Mandira. She shared the snapshot with the caption, “We are with you and proud of you for expressing your love freely.”

The original post, penned by Instagram user Surbhi Tangri, reads: “Why must a grieving wife or mother or a daughter be kept away from performing rituals? Why is basic empathy missing? Mandira Bedi was trolled on social media for not wearing the right clothes a widow should wear and for performing the last rites of the man she so deeply loved and married? Who gets to decide what is the right set of clothes? Will someone who is in shock and is grieving, be bothered about what clothes they are wearing?”

“Often random men/boys, distantly related are given preference over immediate family, only because they are women. Why can’t the mother, wife, daughter perform the rituals? Year 2021 but we are mentally still stuck in the stone age. Have we forgotten how to empathize with others that we come up with such inane statements and troll them? Here’s to strong women – may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them,” the post concluded.

Also read: ‘Raj Kaushal told wife Mandira Bedi he was getting a heart attack’, says friend Sulaiman Merchant

Actor Mini Mathur also slammed trolls for targeting Mandira. “Makes me sick that people are having a field day trolling a grieving woman for performing last rites on her husband instead of asking a stranger or her tiny kid. Or for not having the time to dress the way THEY imagine grieving women should dress. Fools!! Applaud her strength!” she said on Twitter.

Actor-dancer Mukti Mohan also extended her support to Mandira. She shared the same post as Shweta on her Instagram Stories and wrote, “Women are half of humanity, half of humanity has remained undignified, uneducated, deprived of freedom, we’ve hampered and handicapped ourselves. We are a reflection of what is happening around us!”

“And we have destroyed half of ourselves and if we are in misery then who is to be blamed? Ask yourselves next time when you face such situations daughters, sisters, wives, mothers and sons of such mothers, brothers of such sisters, when YOU are questioned when you want to grieve /express/love freely!! Thank you for being you @mandirabedi,” Mohan added.

Raj and Mandira were married for 22 years. The couple has two children together–son Vir and daughter Tara.