Ranveer Singh ready to file fresh apology affidavit in 'Kantara' row: Karnataka HC

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has agreed to submit a fresh apology affidavit in the controversy over his remarks on a character from Kantara: Chapter 1.

The Karnataka High Court was hearing his plea seeking to quash an FIR linked to the incident, reported Bar and Bench.

The move is aimed at addressing concerns that his earlier apology may not be genuine.

The matter came up before Justice M Nagaprasanna, where senior advocate Sajan Poovayya, appearing for Singh, informed the court that the actor has

already expressed remorse in an affidavit.

He also clarified that Singh had no intention of hurting religious sentiments and was unaware of the sensitivities surrounding the depiction he referred to.

But the complainant, Prashanth Methal, was not convinced. He argued before the court that the apology did not reflect true remorse and pointed out that actor-director Rishab Shetty had earlier advised Singh against such mimicry. According to Methal, a more carefully-worded and sincere affidavit was needed.

In response, Poovayya said he was open to discussing the wording of the apology with the complainant and agreed to work towards filing a revised version. Taking note of this, the court adjourned the hearing to April 23.

The controversy stems from Singh’s speech at the International Film Festival of India (IIFI) in Goa. While praising Shetty’s performance, Singh referred to the Chamundi deity as a “female ghost.” He mimicked the character as well which led to criticism online and eventually legal action.

Later, an investigation was ordered. Based on this, the High Grounds Police registered an FIR against Singh under sections related to promoting religious enmity, insulting religious beliefs and public mischief under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

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Singh has maintained that his comments were taken out of context and were meant purely as appreciation for Shetty’s performance. He also mentioned that he had already issued an unconditional apology on social media by stressing that he respects all cultures and traditions. His legal team further argued that there was no malicious intent or attempt to create disharmony.

Meanwhile, Singh is currently riding high on the massive success of his Dhurandhar franchise, with its sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge crossing the ₹1,000 crore mark in India.

The film, directed by Aditya Dhar, also features Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun.