A few days ago, Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh made headlines when he comically mimicked a scene from Rishab Shetty’s film Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1. At the closing ceremony of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, in the presence of Rishab himself, Ranveer stuck his tongue out and imitated the sacred Daiva scene from the Kannada film. Ranveer further referred to the local folk gods Daiva as a ‘female ghost’. He was brutally trolled online, with many calling the actor a ‘clown’ and wondering why he would do such a thing days before the release of his next film Dhurandhar. Well, Ranveer has now apologised.
Rishab Shetty and Ranveer Singh
This morning, after being brutally trolled, Ranveer Singh took to his Instagram story to share an official apology for mimicking the sacred Daiva scene from Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1. His post read: “My intention was to highlight Rishab’s incredible performance in the film. Actor to actor, I know how much it would take to perform that particular scene in the way that he did, for which he has my utmost admiration. I have always deeply respected every culture, tradition and belief in our country. If I’ve hurt anyone’s sentiments, I sincerely apologise.”
During his speech, Ranveer lauded Rishab for his performance in Kantara. In a viral video from the Goa event, Ranveer stated: “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.” After coming down from the stage, Ranveer even hugged Rishab and to show appreciation, attempted to mimic the scene again. Rishab laughed but put up a finger to stop Ranveer.
Ranveer Singh is currently busy gearing up for Dhurandhar, which is set to release in theatres on December 5, this Friday.