Dindigul: Actor Rishab Shetty’s Kantara Chapter 1 continues to make waves at the box office, receiving widespread acclaim from fans on social media. However, a video showing a fan dressed as a Panchuruli daiva entering a cinema theatre in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, has sparked a heated debate online.

During a screening, the fan was seen making a dramatic entrance while security personnel attempted to intervene, but the individual continued moving around the theatre. The audience reportedly watched in astonishment, and several clips of the incident have since gone viral on social media.

The gesture drew criticism from many users. One commented, “This is very wrong. I know people are excited and want publicity, but please don’t do this. For us Tuluvas, these are sacred and central to our lives. Please don’t disrespect them.” Another wrote, “Is this how we respect Daivaradhane? Dressing up as a Daiva itself goes against our tradition. Turning a sacred ritual into entertainment is disrespectful. Think about what we want the next generation to see.”

Others urged the film team and theatre management to take action, with one user writing, “This is a belief held by many people; please don’t mock it. The movie team should intervene.”

'Kantara Chapter 1' also stars Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah, and was released in cinemas on October 2, coinciding with the release of Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, and Rohit Saraf’s 'Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari'.

Set during the Kadamba dynasty in Karnataka, the film explores the region’s rich cultural heritage and has been released in multiple languages, including Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, and English.

The Kannada film serves as a prequel to the 2022 hit ‘Kantara’, which earned over ₹400 crore worldwide on a ₹15 crore budget. ‘Kantara Chapter 1’ has opened to a massive response, collecting over ₹200 crore in just three days at the box office.