Mumbai, India – A Hindu activist group has filed a police complaint against prominent Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor alleging he hurt religious sentiments of the Hindu community in a viral video showing him celebrating Christmas.
The video in question shows Kapoor attending the annual Kapoor family Christmas celebration hosted by actor Kunal Kapoor this year. In the clip, Kapoor is seen pouring liquor onto a Christmas cake while chanting “Jai Mata Di,” and then setting fire to the cake as family members look on.
On Wednesday, the right-wing Hindu group Hind Rakshak Sangathan visited Mumbai’s Ghatkopar police station along with lawyers to officially complain about the movie star. The group accused Kapoor of violating Hindu customs by drinking alcohol for another religion’s festival and invoking the Hindu goddess through his religious chant.
“This is a brazen insult of Hindu rituals,” said the group’s president Vivek Singh. “By thoughtlessly chanting a Hindu utterance while participating in Christian rituals, Ranbir Kapoor has offended crores of Hindus.”
The complaint calls for police to register a first information report (FIR) against Kapoor under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code about deliberately wounding religious feelings, defamation, and communal disharmony. The video quickly went viral on Indian social media shortly after being posted.
Mumbai police have confirmed receiving the complaint but say they will investigate whether Kapoor genuinely intended to offend beliefs or if the matter is being politicized. The actor himself has yet to comment publicly on the issue simmering on social media.
The controversy highlights India’s religious fault lines amidst rising claims by some Hindu groups that the minority faiths are not showing proper respect for their rituals and traditions. Police complain or not, Kapoor has managed to stoke the always intense debate around interfaith relations in the world’s largest democracy.
