Internet divided as fan dresses up as Daiva during Kantara Chapter 1 screening: ‘Don't spoil it by mocking it’

During a screening of Kantara Chapter 1 in TN, a fan dressed as a Daiva was spotted making an entrance. Videos of the moment have surfaced on social media.

Actor Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1 is making loud noise at the box office, earning rave praise from fans across social media. Now, a video has surfaced on social media showing a fan dressed as a Daiva entering a theatre in Tamil Nadu, which has left the opinion online divided.

Kantara Chapter 1 was released on October 2.

Kantara fan dresses up as Daiva in theatre

During a screening of the film at a theatre in Dindigul, a fan dressed as a Daiva was spotted making a dramatic entrance. The security guards were seen trying to intervene, but the fan continued to prance up and down in the theatre. The audience was stunned by the gesture of the fan.

Several videos of the moment have surfaced on social media, and have been catching everyone’s attention.

“After the screening of Kantara Chapter 1 in Dindigul @UmaaRajendra, a fan dressed as a Daiva stunned the audience there. Goosebumps,” one wrote. Another shared, “This happened in Dindigul. TN people are going crazy for #KantaraChapter1.”

Opinions divided

Some social media users called out the gesture, with one sharing, “This very wrong. I know people are excited and want some publicity. Please don’t do this. For us Tuluvas, these are sacred and core of our life. Please please don’t do such things”.

“Is this how we respect Daivaradhane? Dressing up as a Daiva itself goes against our aradhane. Turning a sacred tradition into entertainment is true disrespect. Think — is this what we want the next generation to see? @shetty_rishab,” another shared.

One commented, “Please avoid doing this, it's a belief down here... not a subject of skit or performance.”

One wrote, “This is the belief of many people please don't spoil it by mocking it you jokers i think movie team should take action against this theater @hombalefilms.”

About Kantara Chapter 1

Apart from Rishab, the film also stars Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah in key roles. It was released in cinemas on October 2, clashing with Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, and Rohit Saraf’s Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari.

Set during the Kadamba dynasty in Karnataka, Kantara Chapter 1 explores the region’s cultural heritage. The film has been released in multiple languages, including Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, and English.

The Kannada film is a prequel to the 2022 sleeper hit Kantara, which had earned over ₹400 crore worldwide on a ₹15 crore budget. Kantara Chapter 1 opened to a massive response at the box office, minting over ₹200 crore in just three days.