Rishab Shetty had warned Ranveer Singh not to mimic Daivas before he did it on stage at IFFI

Ranveer Singh has been receiving flak for mimicking Chavundi Daiva on stage while making funny faces, something Rishab Shetty had warned him not to do.

Actor Ranveer Singh recently faced criticism for mimicking Daivas on stage during an interaction with Kannada actor Rishab Shetty at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. With few people on the internet calling out Rishab for not warning Ranveer, his fans dug out videos that show the Kantara Chapter 1 actor-director did, in fact, warn Ranveer against mimicking the Daivas.

Rishab Shetty had already asked Ranveer Singh not to mimic Daivas before he took to the stage.

Rishab Shetty warned Ranveer Singh from mimicking daivas at IFFI

Videos of the full interaction between Rishab and Ranveer are circulating on social media. After going on stage, Ranveer approached the front row to meet Rishab and Rajinikanth, who were seated there.

One video shows Rishab standing up as Ranveer noticed him and greeted him. After they hugged, Ranveer can be seen making faces as he attempts to mimic Rishab’s famous scenes from the Kantara films. Rishab can be seen putting up his finger to politely ask him not to do it. Ranveer is also seen taking cognisance of it and pointing out Rishab’s gesture to someone.

Ranveer Singh refers to Chavundi Daiva as ‘female ghost’

The same video, taken from another angle, also shows Rishab clearly shaking his head and wagging his finger as Ranveer mimicked Daivas. After the interaction, the Bollywood actor took to the stage again and said, “I saw that in the theatres, Rishab, it was an outstanding performance. Especially when the female ghost gets inside your body, that performance, that one shot…”

“Did you see Kantara, sir? Did you see that one shot that he gave?” he asked someone in the crowd while taking off his sunglasses. Ranveer then proceeded to mimic the shot and say, “Anybody here want to see me in Kantara 3? Tell this guy. Tell him.”

Numerous people took to the internet after the videos of this interaction were released, criticising Ranveer for mimicking the Daivas and doing so while wearing shoes. A source told Bangalore Times, “Rishab stayed calm and chose not to escalate it at such a high-profile event.”

Kantara team had also urged fans not to mimic Daiva rituals

When Kantara Chapter 1 was released in theatres in October, some fans began dressing up as Panjuluri, Guliga and Chavundi Daivas while attending the film’s screening. Back then, the producers of the film, Hombale Films, reminded the audience that Dhaivaradhane is a sacred Tulu tradition, not a costume or performance. They appealed to the viewers to respect the sentiment behind it.