At the Hyderabad pre-release event for Ramayana, distributor Dil Raju had a simple task while praising the film’s leading man—get his name right. Instead, he said “Ranveer Singh” before catching himself and correcting to “Ranbir Kapoor garu.” The clip is now travelling faster than the event’s planned announcement.
His exact words during the speech: “one of the best actors, the best hero is Ranveer Singh garu, sorry, Ranbir Kapoor Garu.”
How the stage moment unfolded
Dil Raju was on stage to explain how Ramayana would reach audiences. He said Karan Johar would distribute the film in North India, Sony Pictures would handle Hollywood, and his own company would cover the Telugu-speaking states. It would also be his third Ranbir Kapoor-starrer in the Telugu market, after Brahmastra and Animal.
The compliment that followed missed its mark. As he praised Ranbir’s work, he named Ranveer Singh first, apologised, and finished with the correct name. The camera zoomed in on Ranbir Kapoor’s face. He kept a straight face and gave very little away, which quickly became part of the moment’s appeal.
Why the internet latched on
Social media users largely treated the mix-up as comedy. Some joked that Dil Raju had accidentally spoken the truth, while others called it an honest mistake. A section of Ranbir Kapoor’s fans was less amused, saying a high-profile stage needs a well-rehearsed speaker when no teleprompter is in place.
The reaction matters because Ramayana: Part One is a major release. The film opens worldwide on November 5, 2026, with a second part planned for Diwali 2027. It stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, with Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman and music by A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer.
The bigger event picture
The Hyderabad gathering doubled as a distribution announcement. Along with Dil Raju, the stage included producer Namit Malhotra, director Nitesh Tiwari, and actors Yash, Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Ravi Dubey. With three distribution arms attached, the release is being positioned as both a pan-India and international push.
For celebrity-watchers, this is also a reminder that promotional events are now content factories. A clean event gives a film one news cycle; a small on-stage slip gives it a second, more shareable one. The risk is that the mistake overshadows the film, which is why teams usually script or rehearse even casual-sounding praise.
The recovery worked
What kept this from becoming harsher was the immediate correction. Dil Raju did not pause for long, and Ranbir’s calm reaction stopped the moment from turning genuinely awkward. The lesson for any live event is simple: if a name goes wrong on stage, correct it once, keep the warmth, and move on.
- Dil Raju corrected himself during the speech and quickly apologised.
- Ramayana: Part One opens worldwide on November 5, 2026; the second part is set for Diwali 2027.
- The event confirmed distribution by Karan Johar, Sony Pictures and Dil Raju’s own company.
Source: Hindustan Times
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