Kantara remark: Karnataka HC directs police not to take coercive action against actor Ranveer Singh

In a partial relief to Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh, the High Court of Karnataka on February 24 directed the police not to take coercive steps based on the first information report (FIR) registered against him for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by his act of ‘mocking’ the sacred daiva tradition portrayed in the Kannada film Kantara Chapter 1. 

However, the court directed the actor to cooperate for the probe.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the interim order on the petition filed by the Mr. Singh. 

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Sajan Poovayya, appearing for the actor, said that the remarks though amount to recklessness but was not a deliberate remark intended to hurt anyone’s sentiment, and hence it does not attract criminal prosecution as per the verdicts of courts. Mr. Poovayya said that the actor would cooperate with the probe. 

Meanwhile, the court orally observed that the remark by the actor, certainly a reckless one though may not be deliberate one, while stating that celebrity personalities can’t have a loose tongue and they should do some study before making any remarks as people will be influenced by their remarks. “How can the petitioner make such a remark against a diety,” the court asked..

On the contention that the actor had apologised soon after he realised the mistake, the court said the people may forget but ‘internet will never forget it’.

On the other hand, the advocate for the complainant contended that Mr. Singh mimicked the daiva even after he was asked not to do so by actor Rishab Shetty.

However, the court agreed to examine the correctness of the order passed by the magistrate in referring the complaint for investigation.

The FIR was registered by the High Grounds police in Bengaluru on the direction of a metropolitan magistrate court, which had acted on a private complaint lodged by Prashanth Metha, a Bengaluru-based advocate, who had approached the magistrate court after the city police, including the deputy commissioner of police and the commissioner of police, did not act on his complaint against the actor.

Ranveer Singh, during the closing ceremony of International Film Festival of Goa (IFFI) 2025 in Goa on November 28, had on the stage mimicked actor Rishab Shetty’s performance in the climax of the film, while calling the revered daiva Chavundi of coastal Karnataka a ‘female ghost’.

On December 1, 2025, in a post on Instagram, Mr. Singh apologised for his action while clarifying that he did not mean to hurt anyone’s sentiments, but wanted to appreciate Rishab Shetty’s performance in the film.