Chennai: Actor Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Ram in the upcoming two-part epic "Ramayana", has publicly apologised for a verbal slip at a Dussehra event in Kolkata that triggered a wave of trolling on social media, clarifying at a promotional event in Chennai on Wednesday that he had never intended to say what the viral video appeared to show.
The controversy began on Tuesday, when Kapoor was speaking at a Dussehra programme at Central Park in Salt Lake, Kolkata, organised by the Salt Lake Sanskritik Sansad around the theme "Ram Er Ayodhya – Ram Ki Ayodhya". Addressing the gathering, Kapoor was discussing the significance of Dussehra — the triumph of good over evil — when he said: "Burai chahe kitni bhi taqatwar kyun na ho, aakhir mein ant sacchai aur achchai ki hogi."
The problem was a single word. Where the actor meant to say "jeet" — victory — he said "ant" — end. The sentence, as uttered, appeared to suggest that evil would ultimately meet its end in truth and goodness — a meaning that, in the retelling, was flipped by many listeners into the exact opposite of what he intended.
Clips of the speech circulated widely on social media, drawing attention to the actor's wording. Several users poked fun at the mistake, with some pointedly referring to his upcoming role as Lord Ram in "Ramayana" while reacting to the clip. The video of his speech went viral, leading to considerable trolling.
Producer Namit Malhotra, director Nitesh Tiwari and actor Ravie Dubey were also present at the Kolkata event, which formed part of the promotions for the film.
On Wednesday, Kapoor addressed the controversy head-on at the grand musical event and full-album launch of "Ramayana" at the Chennai Trade Centre in Chennai, where he was accompanied by his co-star Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita. A R Rahman, who has composed the film's music, performed at the event, which was also attended by Yash, Rakul Preet Singh, Ravie Dubey, producer Namit Malhotra, director Nitesh Tiwari and music maestro Rahman himself.
Opening his address with "Vanakkam, Chennai! Thank you for this love and energy. We really feel welcomed by all you beautiful people. Ramayana is a story that connects all of us through love, faith and our culture," Kapoor first spoke about the privilege of working with Rahman — "I have had the privilege of working with the maestro, Mr Rahman, on two of my films (Rockstar and Tamasha). And both have been really special to me. But sir, this opportunity will be remembered forever. It's really an opportunity of a lifetime to collaborate with you on this film."
He then turned to the previous evening's incident. "I want to apologise about an incident that happened yesterday while I was at a Dussehra event. I had a slip of the tongue. What I meant to say is 'burai chahe kitni bhi taqatwar kyun na ho, aakhir mein jeet sacchai aur achchai ki hogi' — no matter how powerful evil may be, truth and goodness will ultimately triumph," he said.
In a light-hearted touch, Kapoor recalled his collaboration with Rahman on "Rockstar" to explain how he sometimes struggles to express himself correctly. "So this reminds me of a collaboration I had with AR Rahman sir in Rockstar. I want to say, 'Jo bhi main kehna chahoon, barbaad karein alfaaz mere' — whatever I want to say, my words ruin it. So I truly apologise for that," he added, drawing smiles from the audience.
Sai Pallavi, seated beside him, smiled as he addressed the incident.
The apology video has since gone viral on social media, with users sharing mixed reactions. While some expressed sympathy for the actor, others pointed out his nervousness during the apology. "We should be ashamed for this tbh, let the man breathe a little, he's exhausted," one user wrote. Another commented: "He sounds very nervous….. don't worry #RK….You are doing great."
The episode is a reminder of the unforgiving arithmetic of the viral age, where a single misspoken syllable — "ant" for "jeet" — can eclipse an entire evening's message, and where the clarification must travel the same circuits as the original clip.
For Kapoor, the stakes of public speech are particularly high at the moment: he is the face of one of the most ambitious film projects in Indian cinema, playing the most revered figure in the Hindu epic tradition, at a time when every public utterance around the film is being parsed by millions.
"Ramayana", directed by Nitesh Tiwari, stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, with Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. The film's grand musical event and full-album launch were held at the Chennai Trade Centre on October 21. "Ramayana: Part 1" is scheduled to release in theatres worldwide on November 5, 2026.
The film has already been making headlines beyond its promotions: it has been granted tax-free status in West Bengal, where Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the exemption — a significant boost for a film whose advance bookings have reportedly crossed Rs 5 crore.
The apology, delivered with disarming candour, is the latest chapter in a promotional tour that has seen the "Ramayana" team criss-cross the country ahead of the film's release.
The Kolkata Dussehra appearance on Tuesday was itself part of the film's outreach — an attempt to connect the epic's themes with the festival that celebrates them — and the Chennai event on Wednesday was the film's grand musical showcase, with Rahman performing the songs of the film live and mesmerising the audience.
That the slip occurred while Kapoor was speaking about the victory of good over evil — the very moral axis of the Ramayana — is what gave the episode its particular sting.
The actor, who has been aggressively promoting the film in the run-up to its November 5 release, found himself in the uncomfortable position of having to clarify the meaning of a sentence whose intended meaning could hardly have been more conventional: that no matter how powerful evil may be, goodness and truth ultimately win.
For now, Kapoor will be hoping that his Chennai clarification puts the matter to rest. As he himself put it, quoting the song from "Rockstar" that he once performed under Rahman's baton: sometimes the words simply do not cooperate — "barbaad karein alfaaz mere".
(Reporting based on The Indian Express, NDTV, The Statesman, Mathrubhumi, Bollywood Hungama and Republic World.)