Mukesh Khanna Wants ‘Vande Mataram’ to Replace ‘Jana Gana Mana’; Historical Record Challenges His British-Ruler Claim

THE CELEBRITY HOUR

Mukesh Khanna has called for “Vande Mataram” to replace “Jana Gana Mana” as India’s national anthem, arguing that Rabindranath Tagore’s composition was written during British rule and questioning whether expressions such as “Adhinayak” and “Bharat Bhagya Vidhata” refer to a colonial ruler.

The actor made the comments while speaking to ANI on August 23, 2026. He said Vande Mataram was more closely connected to India’s freedom movement and declared that Jana Gana Mana “cannot be my national anthem.”

Khanna’s demand is clearly his own political-cultural opinion. His explanation of the history of Jana Gana Mana, however, requires qualification.

The official record is straightforward: “Jana Gana Mana” has been India’s National Anthem since January 24, 1950. On that day, Constituent Assembly President Dr Rajendra Prasad also recognised the historic role of Vande Mataram and said it should be honoured equally with the anthem.

What Mukesh Khanna Said About ‘Jana Gana Mana’

Khanna questioned why India should continue with an anthem that was composed during British rule.

He linked the words “Adhinayak” and “Bharat Bhagya Vidhata” to the period of King George V and suggested that the song's language could be interpreted as referring to a ruler deciding India’s destiny. In contrast, he argued that Vande Mataram expresses reverence for the motherland and would therefore be more appropriate as the national anthem.

He also tied the issue to what he considers the continuing legacy of British influence after Independence, including India’s use of English.

The important distinction is that these are Khanna’s interpretations, not an official historical finding about Tagore’s intent.

Was ‘Jana Gana Mana’ Written for King George V?

The claim has been debated for more than a century because of the circumstances surrounding the song’s first performance.

Tagore’s composition was first publicly sung at the Indian National Congress session in Calcutta in December 1911, at a time when King George V and Queen Mary were visiting India. Some contemporary British Indian newspaper reports interpreted the song as being written in honour of the emperor.

That contemporary confusion is historically documented.

But Tagore later explicitly rejected the idea that George V was the “Bharat Bhagya Vidhata” of the song.

In a 1937 letter to Pulin Behari Sen, Tagore recalled that an official acquaintance had indeed asked him to compose a song honouring the emperor. Tagore said the request angered him and that the figure celebrated in Jana Gana Mana could never have been George V, George VI “or any other George.”

He rejected the interpretation again in 1939, saying it would be insulting to suggest that he had praised a British monarch as an eternal guide through human history.

So while the George V controversy is real, presenting the royal interpretation as settled history would omit Tagore’s own later explanation.

What Did India Officially Decide in 1950?

The strongest primary source for the present status of the two compositions is the Constituent Assembly record of January 24, 1950.

Dr Rajendra Prasad told the Assembly:

“The composition consisting of the words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India…”

He then stated that Vande Mataram, because of its historic role in the independence struggle, should be “honoured equally” with Jana Gana Mana.

That statement remains central to the Government of India’s description of the two works.

A 2025 Press Information Bureau historical note similarly identifies Jana Gana Mana as the National Anthem and Vande Mataram as the National Song.

More recently, in 2026, the government has also taken steps to give Vande Mataram stronger statutory and ceremonial recognition. PIB notes that the proposed Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 would extend protections already afforded to the National Anthem to the National Song.

That contemporary development underlines the song’s importance without altering the official identity of Jana Gana Mana as the anthem.

Why ‘Vande Mataram’ Has a Special National Status

Khanna is on firmer historical ground when he emphasises Vande Mataram’s importance to the freedom movement.

Written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the song became closely associated with anti-colonial nationalism and the Swadeshi movement. Government commemorative material marking its 150th anniversary describes it as an enduring symbol of national unity, resistance and devotion to the motherland.

Rabindranath Tagore himself helped popularise it by setting it to music and singing it at the Indian National Congress session of 1896, according to the government’s historical account.

Its historical importance was precisely why Rajendra Prasad singled it out for equal honour when the National Anthem was formally identified in 1950.

The Debate Has Fresh Political Context in 2026

Khanna’s remarks also arrive amid renewed political debate over Vande Mataram.

The song has been at the centre of recent public arguments involving political parties and public figures, including disputes over which portions should be sung and how the song should be treated at official events. Khanna separately accused the Congress of “appeasement politics” while responding to the controversy.

The Government of India has also issued updated ceremonial guidance in 2026. According to PIB material, when Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana are both part of an official programme, the National Song is to precede the National Anthem.

Akashvani separately announced in March that it would begin broadcasting the full six-stanza version of Vande Mataram under the new Home Ministry guidelines.

So Khanna’s comments are entering an already active discussion about the role and presentation of Vande Mataram. His demand to replace the anthem, however, goes substantially further than those official measures.

The Celebrity Hour Take

Mukesh Khanna’s statement contains two separate questions that should not be blurred together.

The first is whether Vande Mataram deserves extraordinary national recognition. Historically and officially, it already has that recognition. Its role in the freedom struggle is documented, and the Government of India continues to expand its ceremonial visibility.

The second question is whether Jana Gana Mana should be rejected because Tagore wrote it to praise George V.

That argument is much harder to sustain as fact. The timing of the song’s first performance generated understandable confusion in 1911, but Tagore later addressed the allegation directly and rejected the monarch interpretation.

A responsible account can therefore report Khanna’s preference for Vande Mataram without converting his interpretation of Tagore’s song into settled history.

Sources & Verification

This report was prepared using Mukesh Khanna’s August 23 comments as reported from his ANI interaction, the official Constituent Assembly debate of January 24, 1950, current Press Information Bureau material on Vande Mataram, and historical sources examining Rabindranath Tagore’s correspondence about the George V controversy.

Khanna’s call to change the National Anthem is presented as his stated opinion. His claim connecting Jana Gana Mana to a British ruler is treated as a contested historical interpretation because Tagore himself later rejected that explanation.