Darshan or Damage Control?

In 2023, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma walked barefoot in the rain to meet Premanand Maharaj. The photo went viral. In 2026, that same walk has a price tag attached to it of Rs 5 crore, allegedly paid by a builder lobby to boost the ashram’s popularity. Kohli’s team has denied it. Even self-styled godman Falhari Baba, who was among those amplifying the charge, now apologised.

But it exposes the big cynicism of our times: we no longer believe a star can just be a seeker. There has to be a deal, a strategy, a PR team behind it. One wonders, is the new celeb rush to gurus a real cry for help from an industry that burns you out, or is spirituality the best image-cleansing detergent in the market?

“I try not to judge. Fame makes everything louder for celebs. Mostly, they want clarity… ‘How do I stay grounded when the public version of me is bigger than who I am at home?’ People imagine we talk about enlightenment with these celebs. We rarely do! It’s much more ordinary like ‘How do I handle failure? How do I stop obsessing over what people think? Can I be ambitious without it consuming me? What do I do when trust is broken or when I just feel lonely?’ Of course, the PR angle also exists. After a controversy, being seen with a spiritual figure softens the public gaze for them. It tells a story that this person is humbled, reflecting and changing now.

That is useful for them! Sometimes a controversy is exactly what forces them to look at themselves honestly for the first time too! Where it goes wrong is when spirituality itself becomes a status symbol. I once had a star come to me after facing severe public backlash and what struck me was — they weren’t sitting there as a celebrity, but as a vulnerable human being, questioning their own choices. That’s where spirituality helped them. Spiritual gurus give them a space with no audience, no camera, no performance but just a chance to pause and look within!”

Dr. Jai Madaan, viral spiritual life coach

BEATLES DID IT FIRST, VIRAT IS JUST LATEST

“The first real global show of stars chasing a guru was The Beatles in Rishikesh in 1968 with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, along with Donovan, Mia Farrow, Mike Love of The Beach Boys in tow. From everything I have read, that trip came from a genuine search! Paul McCartney later said they were all asking, “What’s it all for?” And it landed differently for each of them. So when we see stars today visiting ashrams, they are allowed to have an inner life. If people care about what a famous person eats for breakfast, it’s only natural they care about what they believe too. I had a picture with my teacher, the Dalai Lama, I posted it on Instagram.

I checked some recent examples of Dakota Johnson, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma at temples as well. In most cases, it wasn’t even these stars posting the photos, others were circulating them. And even when they do share a picture of their spiritual teacher, that feels like a far better message than a celebrity flaunting a yacht life or selling us another perfume or vitamin gummy”.

Scott Snibbe, host of popular American meditation podcast & student of Dalai Lama

“Of course they can post and still be real! Instagram doesn’t cancel your inner peace. Real question is — why are you posting? Is it for your soul, or for your story views? And honestly, sometimes it’s both. They genuinely find calm in an ashram and still want to put that soft-glow guru pic on their feed. Has the darshan actually changed them? Are they more humble off-camera? More chill when trolled? Less desperate for likes? The real flex is not that they met a guru — it’s that they stopped needing to prove they did, that’s all.”

Pujya Swami Swaroopananda, Global Head of Chinmaya Mission

DEVOTION, NOT TREND FOR SOUTH STARS, ATLEAST

“For many in the film industry, not just actors, faith is an anchor. It’s certainly not an image-building exercise. Telugu cinema has always been intertwined with spirituality — from Sr. NTR garu and Chiranjeevi garu to today’s stars like Ram Charan and Vijay Deverakonda. In all my years as a PRO, I have never given a star a ‘spiritual brief.’ The devotion was always there but social media has only made it more visible. To call faith a PR strategy is to completely misunderstand the DNA of South cinema. For southern actors at least, devotion is not a trend or an image-cleansing tactic.”

“Yes, there are VIP lines, security, special treatment but how else? If they go like normal public, darshan won’t happen, only selfie stampede will. 9 years in this industry, I’ve seen it. And Lalbaugcha Raja? Don’t even ask. Lakhs of people. No star can go there without bouncers, otherwise, full hungama.

Do publicists suggest temple visits? Sometimes we say “chalo, blessings le lete hain.” And when a film is released, yes, we call paps at Siddhivinayak. It’s an open secret. Actor says “I am going for darshan, call if you want.” Big myth that actors do whatever PR says. No. They take our suggestion, but the final call is theirs. Is it organic or timed before release? If release is near, temple visits happen, we do call paps. But it’s also about image. An actor wants people to see his other side too! And business is perception. Plus, if Vijay Deverakonda goes to the temple, fans think “let’s also go.” Some even want to promote devotion.”