Chinmayi defends Ranbir Kapoor over Ramayana casting

Singer Chinmayi Sripaada has come out in strong defense of Ranbir Kapoor, who has been at the receiving end of online trolling following the release of the first look of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. The actor is playing the role of Lord Ram in the upcoming epic, and some users have targeted him over an old interview where he admitted to consuming beef.After the teaser showcasing Ranbir and Yash’s official looks from Ramayana went viral on July 3, a section of netizens resurfaced the controversial clip, questioning his suitability for the divine role. One user on Twitter wrote, “Beef eater will be playing the role of Bhagvan Ram now! 🤦 What’s wrong with Bollywood?” The tweet also featured images of Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi from the film set.Chinmayi calls out selective outrageWithout naming anyone, Chinmayi took a pointed dig at those outraging over Ranbir’s food habits while overlooking more serious issues. She wrote:“A babaji who uses the name of God can be a rapist and he can keep getting parole to get votes in bhakt India — however what someone eats is a big problem.”

When a user tried to counter her by asking, “How one bad thing can justify another bad thing?”, Chinmayi doubled down.“Nice. So someone playing a ROLE is the same ‘bad’ as a rapist campaigning for votes amongst you. You deserve to have Ram Rahim as your local MP and visit your house personally.”Her comments have sparked a polarised debate on social media. While many users have lauded Chinmayi for calling out the moral grandstanding, others continue to remain divided on the casting choices and the actor’s past remarks.

First glimpse of Ramayana featuring Ranbir and Yash goes viralDirected by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is one of the most ambitious and awaited Indian films in recent years. The first look, unveiled earlier this week, features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. Also part of the ensemble are Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, and Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari.Backed by producer Namit Malhotra, Ramayana will be released in two parts. The first part is scheduled to hit theatres on Diwali 2026, followed by Part 2 in Diwali 2027.