Representative image. Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
The slip touched the central message of Dussehra and of the film Ranbir is promoting, which is why it spread so quickly. His quick public apology is the only statement on record, two weeks before one of the year's biggest releases.
The Ranbir Kapoor apology came on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, a day after a one-word slip in his Dussehra speech in Kolkata. At a promotional event for his film Ramayana in Chennai, the actor said he had made a “slip of the tongue” and explained what he had meant to say. A clip of the Kolkata speech had spread widely on social media, drawing criticism and memes.
What Ranbir Kapoor said in his Dussehra speech
On Tuesday, 20 October, Ranbir attended a Dussehra celebration organised by Salt Lake Sanskritik Sansad at Central Park in Salt Lake, Kolkata, Gulf News reported. The event’s theme was Ram’s Ayodhya, and the film’s producer Namit Malhotra, director Nitesh Tiwari and actor Ravie Dubey were also there.
Speaking in Hindi, Ranbir set out the familiar Dussehra message that good wins over evil, however strong evil may be. But in the closing part of the line, he used the word “ant”, which means end, where he meant “jeet”, which means victory, according to Gulf News and NewsX. The slip made the sentence sound as if truth and goodness come to an end, the opposite of the festival’s message.
The clip drew extra attention because Ranbir plays Lord Ram in Ramayana, NewsX reported. Dussehra marks Ram’s victory over Ravana, so the mistake landed on the very theme of his film.
The Ranbir Kapoor apology in Chennai
A day later, at the Chennai event with co-star Sai Pallavi beside him, Ranbir raised the matter himself. He said he wanted to apologise for what had happened at the Dussehra event, called it a slip of the tongue and repeated the sentence the way he had meant it: that however powerful evil may be, truth and goodness win in the end, Gulf News reported.
He then linked the moment to his 2011 film Rockstar, whose music was composed by A. R. Rahman. He referred to a line from one of its songs about words failing a person when they try to say what they feel, and said he truly apologised, NewsX reported. He also apologised to anyone who may have been offended by his choice of words, according to the same report.
India Today, The Indian Express, Deccan Herald and The Economic Times all carried the apology on Thursday morning.
How people reacted to the apology
The response online was mixed, NewsX reported. Some social media users defended the actor and said a human error should not draw so much criticism. Others commented on how nervous he looked while speaking, and some welcomed the fact that he addressed it in public instead of staying silent.
Ranbir has apologised publicly before. In 2022, at a Chennai event for Brahmastra, he said sorry for a joke about his wife Alia Bhatt, who was then pregnant, and said his humour sometimes falls flat, DT Next, a Chennai daily, reported at the time. This week’s Ranbir Kapoor apology came during the final stretch before the Ramayana release.
Ramayana release date and cast
Ramayana: Part 1 is due in cinemas worldwide on 5 November 2026, two weeks from now, Gulf News reported. The second part is planned for Diwali 2027. The film will release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with a version for IMAX, the large-format cinema screens, as well.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the two-part adaptation stars Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. It is produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios with the visual effects company DNEG (formerly Double Negative) and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations.
Both events were part of the run-up to the release: the Kolkata celebration, with the film’s producer and director present, was themed around Ram’s Ayodhya, and the Chennai event was a promotion for the film. The slip and the apology came on back-to-back days.
What comes next for Ranbir Kapoor and Ramayana
No separate statement from the film’s makers on the Kolkata clip has been reported. Ranbir’s own words in Chennai are the only statement on record so far. The next fixed date is the release of Ramayana: Part 1 on 5 November, with Sai Pallavi, Yash and Sunny Deol alongside him.
Frequently asked questions
What did Ranbir Kapoor say at the Dussehra event?
While saying that good wins over evil, he used the Hindi word 'ant' (end) instead of 'jeet' (victory), which reversed the meaning.
Where did Ranbir Kapoor apologise?
At a promotional event for Ramayana in Chennai on 21 October 2026, with co-star Sai Pallavi.
What is the Ramayana release date?
Ramayana: Part 1 releases worldwide on 5 November 2026. Part 2 is planned for Diwali 2027.