Chinmayi defends Ranbir Kapoor’s casting in Ramayana amid resurfaced beef comment

Chinmayi backs Ranbir Kapoor

Actor Ranbir Kapoor has recently come under renewed scrutiny over a remark he made nearly 15 years ago regarding his food preferences. The controversy, which originally arose from a 2011 interview during the promotions of Rockstar, has resurfaced as Ranbir prepares to play Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming magnum opus Ramayana.

While discussing his culinary tastes back then, Ranbir had said, “My family is from Peshawar, so a lot of Peshawari food has come with them. I am a mutton, paya, and beef fan. Yeah, I am a big beef fan." Though the comment was made over a decade ago, it continues to draw backlash—especially now, with some questioning his suitability to portray a revered deity like Lord Ram.

A fresh wave of online outrage began when a user on X (formerly Twitter) shared a behind-the-scenes image of Ranbir Kapoor as Ram and Sai Pallavi as Sita, writing, "Beef Eater will be playing the role of Bhagavan Ram now! What's wrong with Bollywood?"

In response, renowned singer Chinmayi Sripaada publicly voiced her support for the actor. In a sharply worded reply to the tweet, she stated, "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 another user questioned her stance with, "How one bad thing can justify another bad thing?" Chinmayi retorted, "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."

Ramayana, helmed by Dangal director Nitesh Tiwari, is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious Indian films in recent history. Ranbir Kapoor stars as Lord Ram, with Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. The project, mounted on a global scale, features music by Academy Award winners AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer.

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The epic adaptation will be released in two parts—Part 1 is slated for Diwali 2026, followed by Part 2 in Diwali 2027. The film is being produced by Namit Malhotra, with international production teams previously involved in films like Dune and Captain America.

Despite the online backlash, industry insiders and fans alike await this cinematic retelling of India’s most sacred epic with high anticipation.