India, Sept. 24 -- After several days of controversy over the casting of model-actor Poonam Pandey to play the role of Mandodari, wife of Ravan, the Luv Kush Ramleela Committee on Tuesday announced that its screening committee has decided to drop her from playing the role.

One of the key Ramleela organisers in Delhi, Luv Kush Ramleela holds Ramleela enactments in foregrounds of Red Fort and it is known to incorporate bollywood actors-actresses in its productions.

Speaking at a press conference at the Constitutional Club of India, committee president Arjun Kumar said, "An artist should be judged by their work and not their past; the decision was reviewed in light of public sentiment. Society was getting divided over the issue. Initially,...