Ranveer Singh Apologises For Mimicking Kantara 2 Daiva Scene Right In Front Of Rishab Shetty After Massive Backlash: ‘My Intention Was To…’

Ranveer Singh, the Bollywood actor, has come out with a public apology after he was heavily criticized for imitating a religious rite from the movie ‘Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1’ at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025 in Goa. The incident happened in Singh’s speech when he, while paying tribute to director actor Rishab Shetty, called the worshiped Chavundi Daiva a “female ghost” and went ahead to imitate the tragic Daiva possession scene on the stage with very high dramatic expressions.

Although Singh’s intention was to point out Shetty’s excellent acting saying, “It was a really good performance, particularly when the female ghost, gets inside you” the act was criticized as not being considerate of the culture.

The Tulu people and many internet users were the first ones to react with very strong emotional feelings saying that the sacred Dhaivaradhane ritual’s disrespect through this ridicule was extremely disrespectful, especially as the actor did it in shoes. 

A short film clip of the incident received a lot of attention online which soon resulted in the actor being severely criticized online and an official complaint being lodged by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS).

Daiva Dignity and Cultural Oversight

The misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the Daiva concept are at the very core of the dispute. In the Tulu Nadu culture of coastal Karnataka, the Daiva is considered a highly respected, semi-god spirit or deity rather than a “ghost.” The Dhaivaradhane ceremony is very powerful spiritually, and the public imitation was interpreted as a challenge to the long-established belief systems.

It has been rumored even that Rishab Shetty, who was in the audience, had quietly warned Singh about the sacred act-not to perform it, thus advising the lively star who appeared to have missed the cue just before going to the stage again.

Actor-to-Actor Intent and Public Apology

When the pressure became too much, Singh started using his social media accounts to explain his actions. In his posts, he pointed out that the imitation was very much an actor-to-actor thing that was done to draw attention to and even to praise the sheer effort and intensity of Rishab Shetty’s performance in the climax of the film. He also said that he has a lot of respect for all the cultures and traditions of India, and he indicated that he was pretty sorry to the ones whose feelings were hurt.

The whole thing has turned into a big lesson that there is a very thin line between a playful cinematic tribute and a cultural insensitivity, and has also pointed out the importance of making the public more aware of the regional spiritual practices as a whole.

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