Ranveer Singh has landed in the center of a controversy following his appearance at IFFI 2025 (International Film Festival of India). The actor is being criticised for his daiva mimicry at the festival. At the event, upon greeting actor and filmmaker Rishab Shetty, Singh attempted an imitation of Shetty`s mystical character from the mythology-rooted film.
Rishab warned Ranveer
While Ranveer Singh is being trolled and criticised for imitating Rishab’s character from the film, an extended video from the event has surfaced on social media. In the video, an enthusiastic Ranveer can be seen getting off the stage to greet dignitaries seated in the front row. He starts by greeting Rajinikanth and his wife, then shakes hands with other esteemed guests until he reaches Rishab. The Kantara star stands up to greet Singh. The Dhurandhar actor walks two steps back and proceeds to imitate Shetty’s daiva roop from the film. However, as soon as Singh begins to imitate him, Shetty warns him not to do so, gesturing with his finger. Singh does not pay heed and continues with his act, eventually leading to massive online backlash.
Ranveer calls daiva a “female ghost”
During the ceremony, Ranveer complimented Rishab for his performance in Kantara Chapter 1. However, a clip of the incident has gone viral for the wrong reasons, with some online users accusing Ranveer of mocking the film`s climactic sequence and referring to the daiva as a “female ghost.”
In the video, Ranveer can be heard saying: “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 imitated the scene, leaving Rishab in splits. Ranveer also asked the audience whether they wanted to see him in Kantara 3 and urged them to send the message to Rishab.
The film, directed by and starring Rishab Shetty, is a prelude to the 2022 smash hit Kantara. It dives deeper into the history of the custom and ancestral struggle established in the first film. It also stars Jayaram, Rukmini Vasanth, and Gulshan Devaiah in prominent roles. The film became the highest-grossing film of 2025, earning Rs 851.93 crore globally.
In Dhurandhar, Ranveer plays a gritty, action-packed character. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film also stars Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and R Madhavan. It is set to release on December 5.
