Mumbai/Bengaluru, Jan 29: The High Grounds police have initiated legal proceedings against Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh for allegedly insulting religious sentiments during a public appearance. The action follows a complaint filed by a Bengaluru-based lawyer who claims the actor’s performance mocked the sacred Bhoota Kola tradition of Coastal Karnataka.
Police registered the First Information Report on Wednesday after an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court directed an investigation into the matter. The case has been filed under Sections 196, 299, and 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The allegations stem from the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India in Goa, held on November 28, 2025. According to the complainant, Prashanth Methal, Singh performed acts on stage that ridiculed the Panjurli and Guliga Daiva spirits in the presence of the lead actor of the film Kantara: Chapter 1.
Methal, who identifies as a lifelong devotee of the guardian spirit Chavundi Daiva, noted that the actor’s imitation was crude and derogatory. The lawyer further mentioned that Singh referred to the deity as a female ghost, a term he described as blasphemous to Hindu beliefs.
“Chavundi Daiva is not a female ghost but a powerful and fierce guardian spirit symbolising justice, protection, and divine feminine energy,” Methal said. He further stated that the deity holds deep cultural significance in the coastal region and that the performance has caused mental agony among the community.
The complaint noted that despite being asked not to perform the act, the actor proceeded to enact a scene from the film. The footage of the performance later went viral on social media platforms, which the complainant said led to widespread resentment among devotees who viewed the clip online.
