Fans call Harshvardhan Rane ‘male Urvashi Rautela’ after he promotes Deewaniyat in India Women's cricket win

Harshvardhan Rane is back in the spotlight, and once again, it isn’t for the reasons he’d hope for. His latest film Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat may have soared past the Rs 100 crore mark worldwide, but the celebrations have been overshadowed by another self-inflicted controversy. This time, it’s his message for the Indian women’s cricket team after their historic World Cup win that has sent social media into full meltdown.

A Congrats Post That Went Sideways

Soon after the women’s team lifted the ICC Women’s World Cup trophy, Rane shared a post praising the champs, but added a line about his own film’s booming box-office numbers. He wrote that while the Rs 100 crore milestone made him happy, the World Cup victory brought him “even more” joy.

What was meant to sound heartfelt came across to many as tone-deaf. The internet instantly called him out for turning a national celebration into another chance to plug his film. Reddit users accused him of making “everything about himself,” with one calling the post “disgusting” and another saying it “reeks of narcissism.”

Users dragged him with savage one-liners and memes, with several comparing him to Urvashi Rautela, whose infamous response to the recent Saif Ali Khan stabbing incident included a random mention of her film’s box office. One commenter joked, “You can never be Urvashi, Harshvardhan. Don’t try.” Others teased that he’s one step away from saying, “My film crossed 105 cr,” mimicking Urvashi’s viral tone. This wasn’t just mild ribbing; it was a full-blown roast session, with users joking about how desperately he tries to stay in the conversation.

Not His First PR Slip-Up

Rane is no stranger to criticism. Just weeks ago, he made headlines for claiming that audiences had “ended nepotism” by supporting films of “outsiders” like him and Ayushmann Khurrana. The internet dragged him then, too, advising him to hire a better PR team.

While the actor continues to ride on Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat’s commercial success, the steady stream of questionable statements keeps pulling attention away from the film itself. Directed by Milap Zaveri and co-starring Sonam Bajwa, Shaad Randhawa, Sachin Khedekar, and others, the movie has clearly found its audience but Rane’s online behaviour is proving to be its biggest distraction.

For now, the box office numbers may be climbing, but so is the backlash. And the internet isn’t letting him forget any of it.