Karnataka HC stays coercive action against Ranveer Singh over Kantara remark
Karnataka HC stays coercive action against Ranveer Singh over Kantara remark
Interim relief keeps Ranveer Singh out of police action as the court reviews an FIR over his Kantara mimicry at IFFI 2025.
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed Bengaluru police not to take coercive action against actor Ranveer Singh in an FIR accusing him of hurting religious sentiments by mocking the sacred daiva tradition portrayed in Kantara Chapter 1. The court also asked Singh to cooperate with the investigation as it granted him interim relief.
The petition was filed by Singh after an Bengaluru metropolitan magistrate’s order, based on a private complaint by a city-based advocate, led to the FIR being registered by the High Grounds police. The bench, led by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, underscored the actor’s influence and questioned whether an apology could erase the harm perceived by some. The judge noted, “People may forget but internet never forgets.”
Singh’s counsel argued that while the remarks may have been reckless, they were not deliberate and could not amount to criminal prosecution in light of existing verdicts. The court’s interim order bars coercive action so long as Singh cooperates with the investigation. The matter is expected to proceed in due course, with further proceedings likely to address the balance between artistic expression and religious sensitivities.
The controversy erupted after Singh, at the closing ceremony of IFFI 2025 in Goa on November 28, imitated actor Rishab Shetty’s performance from Kantara and referred to the revered daiva Chavundi as a “female ghost.” The remarks, which went viral, prompted the complaint that led to the FIR. The court’s remarks during the hearing highlighted the enduring nature of online discourse surrounding such incidents.
