Kantara Chapter 1 Makers Urge Fans Not To Imitate Daiva Characters In Public; Rishab Shetty Requests To Stop Mockery

The Daiva is a divine entity, and the tradition of Dhaivaradhane is a sacred ritual followed in the coastal Tulunadu region of Karnataka. In the Kantara films, the Daiva possession scenes were well-crafted with utmost care, respect and emotional depth. But a section of the audience has made a mockery of this sacred ritual by dressing up like Daiva and recreating the possession scenes at theatres, which has sparked debate on social media. Many have slammed these acts on X (formerly known as Twitter), calling it disrespectful to the religious beliefs and cultural identity of the Tulu community.

On Tuesday, Hombale Films issued an official statement, urging fans not to imitate the Daiva characters from the movie, as such acts trivialise the "belief system and deeply hurt the religious sentiments and faith".

Fans enact Daiva acts during Kantara Chapter 1 screenings

Several videos started doing the rounds on social media from multiple locations where some fans were seen imitating the Daiva possession scenes in Kantara. A video emerged from Tamil Nadu's Dindigul, where a fan dressed in a Daiva costume was re-enacting the act inside a theatre. There was another video in Bengaluru, where a person wearing a yellow kurta and dhoti performed the sequence. These videos received flak from netizens, especially from the Tulu community, for mocking the sacred rituals.

Have a look at the reactions here.

Makers of Kantara issue statement

This has caught the attention of makers and on Monday, they issued a lengthy statement on X. "To the cinephiles and the global audience, Dhaivaradhane stands as a profound symbol of faith and cultural pride within Tulunadu, the coastal region of Karnataka. Our films, Kantara and Kantara Chapter-1, were created with the purpose of respectfully portraying this devotion and celebrating the glory of the Daivas . We have strived tirelessly to ensure that the profound respect and unwavering devotion central to Dhaivaradhane were honoured, successfully spreading the significance and heritage of the Tulu soil with the world," the makers wrote.

"We are deeply grateful for the overwhelming positive response. However, we have observed that certain individuals have been imitating the Daiva characters from the movie and engaging in inappropriate behaviour in public spaces and gatherings," they added.

The makers also stated that the Daiva worship, featured in the film, is "rooted in deep spiritual tradition and is not intended for performance or casual mimicry." They said that such acts trivialise the "belief system and deeply hurt the religious sentiments and faith of the Tulu community."

They appealed to the public and audiences to refrain from any act that involves "imitating, mimicking, or trivialising the Daiva personas—whether in cinema halls or in public places."

Hombale Films also urged the citizens to "recognise the spiritual importance of these portrayals and act responsibly, ensuring that the devotion we sought to celebrate is never compromised or treated lightly."

"We appreciate your continued support and cooperation in preserving the sanctity of this invaluable cultural heritage," they concluded the statement.

Rishab Shetty asks fans not to dress as Daiva as it hurts the sentiments

Shetty told India Today that people dressing up like Daiva is "very unfortunate, because that was never their intention behind making the film. He said it hurts them and requested people not to do such things. "This is cinema for us. We do it for the cinematic experience and for the story’s emotional arc. But the concept of Daiva that we have brought into the film - that is not cinema for us," he said.

The actor also added that what they have created comes from their own community, and they worship Daiva, and when people do such things, it "deeply hurts" their sentiments.