Mythri Ravi Shankar Under Fire Over Comments on Rukmini Vasanth at Kantara Event

What was meant to be a star-studded promotional evening for Kantara Chapter 1 turned into a social media storm after producer Ravi Shankar’s remarks about actress Rukmini Vasanth drew widespread criticism.

The event, attended by stars including Jr NTR and Rishab Shetty, took an unexpected turn when Ravi Shankar of Mythri Movie Makers praised Rukmini as an “extraordinary performer” but went on to compare her abilities to Jr NTR. “We searched for months for a heroine who could match NTR’s talent. We finally found her in Rukmini. She is extraordinary—maybe not at his level, but we hope she can deliver at least 80 per cent,” he said.

While intended as appreciation, the statement sparked outrage online. Many netizens felt the comparison undermined Rukmini’s individuality and belittled her achievements. Comments flooded social media platforms, with fans questioning why the actress had to be portrayed as “less” in order to glorify the hero.

One user wrote in Telugu, “Mee hero ni lepuko anthe gani ma Rukku ni endhuku thakkuva chesi mataldam?” (No need to insult Rukku just to hype your hero). Another remarked, “Disrespect cheyyadam endhuku?” (Why disrespect her?).

Rukmini, who has steadily risen to prominence across Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi cinema, was recently seen in AR Murugadoss’ Madharaasi alongside Sivakarthikeyan. She will next appear in Kantara Chapter 1, releasing on October 2, and is also part of director Prashanth Neel’s highly anticipated project with Jr NTR.

Though Ravi Shankar has not responded to the backlash yet, the incident has sparked a larger conversation about how female talent is acknowledged in the film industry.

Meanwhile, Rishab Shetty's Kannada speech at the Kantara Telugu pre-release event aslo received severe backlash as many Telugus demanded for boycott - "Ban Kantara" and "Boycott Kantara" trended online.