Ranveer Singh booked over ‘Daiva’ remarks at Goa film festival

Bengaluru's High Grounds police on Thursday registered a criminal case against Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh following allegations that he hurt religious sentiments during a public appearance at a film event in Goa.

The FIR was filed on Wednesday after an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACJM) court directed police to investigate a private complaint submitted by Prashanth Methal (46), a Bengaluru-based advocate.

The complainant has accused the actor of mocking the Bhoota Kola tradition, a ritual practice with deep religious significance in coastal Karnataka.


The case has been registered under Sections 196, 299 and 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

According to the complaint, the alleged incident took place on November 28, 2025, during the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

The complaint states that while on stage, and in the presence of the lead actor of Kantara: Chapter 1, Singh allegedly imitated the expressions associated with Panjurli and Guliga Daiva in what was described as a crude and derogatory manner.

It further alleges that the Bollywood star referred to Chavundi Daiva, a revered guardian spirit, as a “female ghost.”

Methal, who identifies himself as a devotee of Chavundi Daiva and says the deity is his family’s kuladevata, claimed that the portrayal was deeply offensive.

The complaint also alleges that despite being requested not to enact the Daiva ritual on stage, the Dhurandar-star went ahead and performed an emotionally charged scene inspired by Kantara: Chapter 1.

Referring to the deity as a ghost, the complainant argued, amounted to blasphemy and a serious affront to Hindu religious beliefs.

It further stated that a video clip of the alleged performance later circulated widely on social media, triggering anger and distress among devotees.

Moreover, the FIR alleges that the act was deliberate and carried out by a prominent public figure on an international platform, with full knowledge that it could offend religious sentiments and disrupt communal harmony.

Police officials said the matter is under investigation.