Rajamouli’s Hanuman comment sparks boycott after glitch
Rajamouli’s Hanuman remark during the glitchy ‘Varanasi’ launch sparked anger among Hindutva groups, prompting boycott calls.
Director SS Rajamouli, widely admired for his visionary filmmaking, found himself at the centre of an unexpected controversy after comments he made about Lord Hanuman during the trailer launch of his latest film Varanasi on Saturday, November 15. What was meant to be a grand, smooth event at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad quickly turned chaotic due to a series of technical glitches — and Rajamouli’s emotional reaction in that tense moment has now sparked online outrage.
The event drew film enthusiasts, critics, and members of the media from India and abroad, all eager to catch the first glimpse of the highly anticipated project. But just when excitement peaked, the trailer refused to play. The screen remained dark, the audio kept failing, and attempts to restart the system repeatedly crashed. Those present described the atmosphere as tense, with the entire team scrambling behind the scenes to locate the source of the problem.
Rajamouli, who is known for his calm, composed nature at public events, appeared visibly disappointed as the glitches continued. In a moment of frustration, he shared a deeply personal and emotional anecdote on stage. He explained that he does not usually place much faith in gods, but that his father had always told him that Hanuman would guide him in moments of difficulty. Recalling the stressful situation, he said he felt let down when things went wrong despite that reassurance.
“I don’t have much faith in gods,” he said openly, reflecting honestly on his belief system. She treats the god like her friend and talks to him. I expressed my anger at her too, asking, ‘Is this how he does things?’”
Rajamouli’s candidness, meant to reveal his emotional vulnerability in the moment, did not sit well with many online. Within hours, several social media users — particularly those aligned with Hindutva groups — criticised the filmmaker, accusing him of “insulting” their revered deity. Hashtags demanding an apology began trending on X (formerly Twitter), and some even called for a boycott of the film Varanasi altogether. Supporters of Rajamouli, however, felt his comments were taken out of context and argued that he was simply expressing a personal emotional reaction rather than disrespect.
The film’s crew later clarified that the trailer’s failure to play was caused by insufficient power supply from the generators connected to the giant display screen. Rajamouli himself explained that the equipment could not handle the load, which caused multiple disruptions. Once the issue was fixed, the trailer did eventually play, but by then the earlier chaos had overshadowed the launch.
What was meant to be a proud and celebratory moment for the team became a storm of controversy. While the filmmaker has not issued a formal apology so far, the debate around his remarks reflects the sensitive relationship between public figures, faith, and audience expectations in India.