Adipurush director Om Raut kisses Kriti Sanon in Tirupati, stirs row

In a video which went viral on social media, Raut was seen kissing Kriti on her cheek wishing her goodbye while the actress was departing from Tirupati temple.

The video has earned the wrath of a section of social media users.

It has been described as "condemnable" by the head priest of Telangana's Chilkur Balaji Temple.

The head priest said as quoted by India Today, "This is a condemnable act. Even a husband and wife do not go there (temple) together. You can go to a hotel room and do it. Your behaviour is like insulting Ramayan and Goddess Sita."

Being offended by the sight, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state secretary Ramesh Naidu Nagothu questioned whether such an act was necessary.

Actor Dipika Chikhlia, who played Sita in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, has criticised both Kriti and Raut.

Chikhlia told Aaj Tak, "Kriti is an actor of today’s generation and in today’s time, kissing and hugging is seen as a sweet gesture. She never thought of herself as Sita.”

The actress said she "lived as Sita but the actors of today, think of it as a character. They don’t bother after the film is over."

Adipurush, which also stars Prabhas, is slated for June 16 release.