Overview

• The veteran actor wrote that Ravana was not evil, calling him “slightly naughty” and “more educated than half of our Parliament.”
• Her post argued that after abducting Sita, Ravana treated her with respect, provided food and shelter, posted women guards, and proposed marriage with humility.
• The message went viral on X, with many users accusing her of romanticising abduction and some demanding an apology.
• Activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj publicly rebuked Garewal, saying such “romanticism” would vanish if an abduction happened to her.
• Several commenters cited mythological accounts of curses and alleged assaults to dispute her framing, fueling a wider debate over celebrity responsibility in interpreting epics.