Dil Raju calls Ranbir Kapoor ‘Ranveer Singh’ at Ramayana event, apologises on stage

Veteran Telugu producer and distributor Dil Raju has become an unlikely talking point ahead of the release of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, after he called the film’s lead actor, Ranbir Kapoor, by the name of Ranveer Singh during a speech at the film’s pre-release event in Hyderabad.

A short clip of the moment spread quickly on social media from Monday, 19 October, and the phrase “dil raju ramayana event goof up” has since been among the trending searches in India.

What happened on stage

Dil Raju’s company, Sri Venkateswara Creations, has acquired the theatrical rights to release Ramayana in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Deccan Chronicle reported on Monday, 19 October. He was on stage in that capacity, as the film’s distributor for the two Telugu states.

According to Hindustan Times, he told the audience that Karan Johar would handle the film’s release in north India and Sony Pictures would take it overseas, while his banner would cover the Telugu market. He then turned to Ranbir and noted that Ramayana would be the third film of the actor that he has distributed in the region, after Brahmastra and Animal, adding that he hoped it would complete a hat-trick.

It was while praising the actor that the slip occurred. Calling him one of the best actors working today, Dil Raju named “Ranveer Singh garu” before correcting himself almost in the same breath with “Sorry, Ranbir Kapoor garu”, according to accounts in NDTV, Hindustan Times and Bollywood Hungama. Bollywood Hungama reported that he laughed as he apologised.

The camera cut to Ranbir as the line was spoken. Hindustan Times said the actor remained largely expressionless.

What Dil Raju has said since

The on-stage correction remains the only response from the producer. In the reports reviewed by The Daily Rostrum, there was no separate statement or clarification from Dil Raju after the clip went viral, and there was no reaction from Ranbir Kapoor or the film’s makers to the mix-up.

Online reaction has been mixed. Many users treated it as a light-hearted, honest slip, while others joked that the producer had praised the wrong actor. Hindustan Times noted that a section of Ranbir’s fans were annoyed, with some suggesting speakers at such events should be better prepared.

A busy promotional run

The Hyderabad event came a few days after a similar gathering in Bengaluru, Bollywood Hungama reported. Ranbir, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Ravi Dubey and Rakul Preet Singh attended, along with producer Namit Malhotra and director Nitesh Tiwari.

Ranbir used his time on stage to speak warmly about Yash, who plays Ravana and is also a producer on the film. He said he became a fan after watching KGF and described Yash as someone who understands every side of filmmaking, NDTV reported. Yash, in his own speech, urged viewers to watch the film with an open mind and not hunt for small faults in its visual effects, saying Malhotra had staked his money and reputation on taking the film to a global audience.

The makers also announced at the event that the film’s premiere will be held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on 27 October, according to Bollywood Hungama.

About the film

Ramayana is a two-part adaptation of the epic. Ranbir plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, Yash plays Ravana, Ravi Dubey plays Lakshman and Sunny Deol plays Lord Hanuman, with music by A R Rahman and Hans Zimmer. Part One is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on 5 November, and Part Two is planned for Diwali 2027.

Malhotra has said in an interview, cited by NDTV, that the combined budget of both parts is around $500 million, or more than Rs 4,000 crore. That figure has not been independently verified.

Sources: NDTV, Hindustan Times, Bollywood Hungama, Deccan Chronicle