Ranveer Singh Faces Backlash for Imitating Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Act, Refers to Daiva as ‘Female Ghost’
At the closing ceremony of IFFI 2025 in Goa on November 28, filmmaker and actor Rishab Shetty and Ranveer Singh shared the stage. While Ranveer praised Rishab’s performance in Kantara Chapter 1, a video of him imitating the film’s climax scene and calling the daiva a “female ghost” has sparked widespread criticism online.
In the viral clip, Ranveer says, “I watched Kantara Chapter 1 in theatres, and Rishab, it was an outstanding performance, especially when the female ghost (Chamundi daiva) enters your body — that shot was amazing.” He then acted out the scene, eliciting laughter from Rishab and the audience. Ranveer also asked if viewers wanted to see him in Kantara 3 and encouraged them to share the message with Rishab.
However, many social media users found his remarks insensitive and disrespectful. Comments included, “How can actors lack basic understanding of what should and shouldn’t be said? It’s deeply disrespectful to call a goddess a female ghost,” and “Ranveer should know better — this was offensive.” Others added, “It’s absolute disrespect to the daivas,” and “He should have been more careful; this is tone-deaf.
”Some pointed out the irony given Ranveer’s wife’s regional connection to the daiva tradition, urging him to show respect. The controversy arises just days before the release of Ranveer’s upcoming film Dhurandhar.
About Kantara Chapter 1
Directed by and starring Rishab Shetty, Kantara Chapter 1 is a prequel to the 2022 blockbuster Kantara. The film explores the origins of the tradition and ancestral conflict introduced in the original, featuring Jayaram, Rukmini Vasanth, and Gulshan Devaiah. It became the highest-grossing film of 2025, earning ₹851.93 crore worldwide.
About Ranveer Singh’s Upcoming Film
Ranveer returns in a rugged, action-packed role in Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar. The film also stars Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and R. Madhavan, with a theatrical release scheduled for December 5.
