Actor Prakash Raj recently hit back at criticism on social media over the funeral of his mother according to Christian rituals, despite having previously claimed to be an atheist. His mother, Suvarnalatha, passed away on March 29 at the age of 86 from age-related ailments. Her funeral was held in Bengaluru on March 31 according to Christian rituals. Several emotional photos and videos from the funeral service surfaced online, showing the actor visibly heartbroken.
Prakash Raj shuts down trolls
However, amid the condolences, a section of users on the social media platform X began trolling the actor. They pulled out an old video in which Prakash Raj, in which he had called himself an atheist, and began questioning why he conducted the funeral following Christian traditions.
Prakash Raj responded to the chatter by reposting one such tweet that criticised him. Along with the post 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” (sic)
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 https://t.co/vD1GhySf3M
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) April 2, 2026
He stressed that the Christian funeral ceremony was conducted in keeping with his mother`s faith and wishes, stating it as an act of respect rather than personal belief.
Prakash Raj`s mother dies
Prakash Raj`s mother, Suvarnalatha, passed away on March 29 after prolonged age-related ailments. The actor had earlier spoken about her health challenges, sharing that she was once diagnosed with a brain cyst. She underwent surgery for the same, which reportedly led to severe memory loss. After the procedure, she even struggled to recognise close members of her family.
Suvarnalatha was born in Karnataka and reportedly grew up as an orphan. She came from a Christian family background. During her early years, she worked as a nurse at a hospital, where she met her husband. Their friendship developed into a relationship, and the couple eventually got married. They had three children together. Prakash Raj was the eldest, followed by a daughter and a son.