Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh visited the historic Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hills in Karnataka this week to offer prayers and perform rituals. His visit follows a directive from the Karnataka High Court regarding a legal case tied to his mimicry of a scene from the movie Kantara. During his temple visit, the actor participated in religious ceremonies and reportedly made personal vows.

Viral mimicry and sacred sentiments:

The controversy began last December during the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India in Goa. Ranveer faced intense public criticism after he imitated a sacred sequence from Rishab Shetty’s upcoming film. Observers felt the performance was insensitive. On the occasion, the Gully Boy star referred to the sacred daivas as ghosts. A video clip of the segment went viral online and sparked widespread backlash. At that time, Rishab Shetty himself said, “That makes me uncomfortable. While much of the film is cinema and performance, the Daiva element is sensitive and sacred.”

In April, the Dhurandhar 2 actor filed a revised affidavit with the Karnataka High Court in connection with the legal dispute. The court noted that the matter was nearing a resolution. It subsequently ordered Ranveer to offer prayers at the Chamundeshwari Temple within a four-week deadline.

Ranveer Singh’s apology after controversy:

Before the court case, the actor did issue an apology for his on-stage behaviour. “I have always deeply respected every culture, tradition, and belief in our country. If I’ve hurt anyone’s sentiments, I sincerely apologise,” he wrote on Instagram.

Huge impact of Kantara

The immense cultural impact of the Kantara franchise, led by Rishab Shetty, is well-known. The original film, released in 2022, became a massive pan-Indian phenomenon by blending intense action with deep-rooted regional folklore and indigenous spiritual traditions. Its 2025 prequel was an even bigger box office hit.

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The film industry has been buzzing with discussions after the Federation of Western India Cine Employees’ (FWICE) decision to issue a non-cooperation directive against Ranveer Singh. The ban came after Farhan Akhtar approached the workers’ body regarding Ranveer’s abrupt exit from Don 3. As fans and industry insiders continue to share their views on social media, Manoj Bajpayee also shared his thoughts on the ongoing situation, expressing his hope for a quick resolution.

When asked how the film industry safeguards an actor’s position during such disputes, Manoj pointed out that there is currently limited clarity about the clash between Ranveer and Farhan’s production house, Excel Entertainment.

He said that most members of the fraternity are getting their information from the internet rather than official channels. He added, “I must tell you one thing, that all the people who are in this industry, they are only reading it on social media and we don’t have the detailed information about it. But all we can say as colleagues or as fellow fraternity members that we hope that the matter is sorted out soon.”

Manoj is not the only notable figure to speak up. Earlier, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta took to X to voice his concerns and question the logic behind banning an actor of Ranveer’s stature. Highlighting how a ban impacts everyday crew members, he wrote, ““When an A List Hero shoots there are more than 300 workers working on sets. Ban him and you are not stopping him but depriving the workers of their livelihood. What sense does it even make???”

The dispute traces back to April, when Farhan approached FWICE, claiming that Ranveer’s sudden departure from Don 3 resulted in monetary losses totalling Rs 45 crore. The project was officially announced by Excel Entertainment in August 2023 with a special teaser introducing Ranveer as the new face of the iconic franchise, a character previously made famous by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

According to FWICE, the non-cooperation directive was finalized on Monday after Ranveer allegedly ignored multiple notices sent by the body. FWICE President Ashoke Pandit held a press conference to explain the organization’s stance and clarify the timeline of events.

Explaining the rationale behind the move, Ashoke Pandit said, “As soon as the complaint reached us, we formally registered it. Subsequently, we issued three notices to Ranveer Singh: one every 10 days, inviting him to engage with us, and three reminders. However, we received absolutely no response. Since we received no response, we collectively decided to convene a press conference to apprise the industry of the decision our Federation has taken. The moment we announced the press conference, we received an email from Mr Singh stating that this matter did not fall within our jurisdiction and that we had no authority to interfere in it. We took note of his stance and decided to proceed accordingly.” 

Ranveer’s team communicated via email that FWICE was not the appropriate forum to resolve contractual disagreements. However, the workers’ body decided to proceed with their directive based on his refusal to engage with their earlier notices. 

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