Chennai: Ranbir Kapoor has apologised for his Dussehra remark after facing social media backlash, admitting that his words were a slip of the tongue.
The actor addressed the controversy at the music and audio launch of Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming film ‘Ramayana’ in Chennai, saying, “Barbaad kare alfaaz mere.”
Addressing the backlash, Ranbir clarified what he had intended to convey and turned to the lyrics of his song from ‘Rockstar’, composed by A.R. Rahman, to acknowledge how his words had been misconstrued.
Taking the stage in Chennai, Ranbir said, “I would like to take this opportunity to apologise over an incident that happened yesterday. I was at a Dussehra event, and I had a slip of tongue.”
He went on to explain his intended message, “What I meant to say is, ‘Burai chaahe kitni bhi taaqatwar kyun na ho, aakhir mein jeet achhai aur sachchai ki hogi.’ (No matter how powerful evil may be, goodness and truth will ultimately triumph).”
Ranbir’s apology follows the backlash over his Dussehra speech at a celebration in Kolkata, where his choice of words sparked confusion and prompted jokes and criticism online.
While explaining his verbal slip, the actor recalled working with music composer A.R. Rahman on ‘Rockstar’ and quoted a line from the film’s song ‘Jo Bhi Main’, which aptly captured his regret over the incident.
“Whatever I want to say, my words end up ruining it,” Ranbir joked, quoting the lyrics, “Jo bhi main kehna chahu, barbaad kare alfaaz mere.” The line roughly translates to, “Whatever I wish to say, my words ruin it.”
Rahman, who composed the song for ‘Rockstar’, was also present at the grand album launch in Chennai.
Actor #RanbirKapoor apologises for the slip of tongue he had yesterday at Dussehra’s #Ramayana Kolkata Event at Chennai Album Launch.
“Jo Bhi Main Kehna Chaahun, Barbaad Kareh Alfaaz Mere” https://t.co/b22x90rElO
— The Climax India (@TheClimaxIndia) October 21, 2026
The controversy erupted after a video of Ranbir’s Dussehra speech in Kolkata went viral on social media.
While explaining the festival’s message of good triumphing over evil, the ‘Ramayana’ actor appeared to misspeak, making his statement sound contrary to what he intended.
“Dussehra humein ek bahut khoobsurat baat yaad dilati hai, ki burai chahe kitni bhi taqatwar kyun naa ho, aakhir mein ant sacchai aur achchai ki hi hogi (Dussehra reminds us of a beautiful thing: no matter how powerful evil is, truth and goodness will ultimately triumph),” he had said.
The clip triggered mixed reactions online, with some users mocking Ranbir’s choice of words, while others dismissed the incident as a verbal slip that had been amplified on social media.