The hashtag #ShameOnYouRanveerSingh began surging on X (formerly Twitter) on December 2, 2025, primarily in India, driven by widespread outrage over Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh's recent comments at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. Users, particularly from Hindu and South Indian communities, are accusing him of disrespecting religious sentiments by mocking a sacred deity during a panel discussion on the 2022 Kannada film Kantara. The controversy has sparked calls for apologies, film boycotts, and legal action, amplifying the trend through viral videos and posts.
Key Details of the Incident
- What Happened: During a session titled "The Power of Cinema" at IFFI Goa on November 30, 2025, Ranveer Singh praised Kantara and its director Rishab Shetty. While referencing the film's climax—where the deity Panjajurli Daiva (a male spirit) possesses the protagonist—he described the goddess Chamundi Daiva (also known as Daiva Chavundi or Shri Chamunda Mata, a revered figure in Tulu and Kannada folklore) as a "female ghost." This phrasing was interpreted as derogatory, reducing a divine entity central to Karnataka's Bhoota Kola tradition to something supernatural and eerie rather than sacred.
- Context of Kantara: The film draws heavily from coastal Karnataka's cultural and spiritual practices, including worship of Daivas (spirits/deities). Chamundi Daiva is not a "ghost" but a protective goddess in local mythology, often depicted in rituals. Singh's remark, meant as light-hearted commentary, was seen as insensitive cultural appropriation, especially since he's a non-South Indian actor expressing interest in a potential Kantara 3 role.
- Public Reaction:
- Outrage and Boycott Calls: Posts are flooding X with demands for Singh to apologize publicly, with many tagging @RanveerOfficial. Hindu nationalist accounts and regional voices from Karnataka are leading the charge, labeling it an "insult to Sanatan Dharma" and pushing for a boycott of his upcoming films like Don 3 and Baazar 2.
- Viral Clips: A 44-second video from the event, shared by outlets like Sanatan Prabhat, has garnered thousands of views, showing Singh's exact words: "That female ghost [Chamundi Daiva] enters the male body... it's so powerful." This has been reposted with captions like "Mocking our deities isn't humor—it's blasphemy."
- Broader Sentiment: Some users tie it to larger frustrations with Bollywood's perceived North Indian bias toward South Indian culture, especially post-Kantara's pan-India success. One post called it "clownery" amid Singh's "desperate begging for a role."
