Chinmayi Sripaada defends Ranbir Kapoor: ‘A rapist babaji can get parole but not beef eaters?’

As debates around Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming film Ramayana intensify, singer Chinmayi Sripaada has stepped in to defend actor Ranbir Kapoor, who is playing Lord Ram in the ambitious project. The controversy stems from an old interview where Ranbir admitted to consuming beef, which some users have resurfaced online to question his suitability for the role.

The debate reignited after the first official look of Ramayana went viral on July 3, showcasing Ranbir Kapoor as Ram and Yash as Ravana. Images featuring Ranbir and Sai Pallavi from the film set began circulating alongside old clips, with one Twitter user writing, “Beef eater will be playing the role of Bhagvan Ram now! 🤦 What’s wrong with Bollywood?”

Without naming anyone directly, Chinmayi took a firm stand against what she termed selective outrage. In a tweet, she wrote, “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 challenged her position by asking, “How one bad thing can justify another bad thing?”, Chinmayi doubled down. “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.”

Her remarks quickly ignited polarised reactions on social media. Some praised her for calling out hypocrisy and defending artistic liberty, while others continued to argue that playing religious figures requires moral alignment in public and personal life.

Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, is one of India’s most anticipated multi-part epics. The cast includes Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, and Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari.

The film will be released in two parts—Part 1 is slated for Diwali 2026, with the sequel following in Diwali 2027.

With mounting expectations, the controversy around Ranbir’s casting continues to provoke larger questions about public morality, celebrity accountability, and artistic freedom in Indian cinema.