Bizarreness Of Star Worship Syndrome: Ram Gopal Varma On Darshan's Arrest In Murder Case

In a post shared on X, Varma criticized the intense fan worship culture surrounding celebrities. He wrote, "A star using one die-hard fan to kill another die-hard fan who was interfering in his personal life is a perfect example of the bizarreness of the star worship syndrome. Fans wanting to dictate how their stars should live their lives is an unavoidable side effect of this syndrome."

Renuka Swamy, a fan of Darshan, was reportedly upset with the actor's alleged affair with actress Pavithra Gowda, expecting him to be loyal to his wife, Vijaya Lakshmi. Swamy sent obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda, which angered Darshan. Consequently, Darshan allegedly ordered his aides to bring Swamy to Bengaluru.

Once kidnapped and locked inside a shed in Kamakshi Palya, Swamy was brutally assaulted by Darshan's aides, leading to his death.

Varma also seemingly criticized the media for sensationalizing the incident, adding, "A filmmaker is supposed to start shooting only after the screenplay is finalized, but often, the script is still being written during filming. In Darshan's murder case, the screenplay started getting written after the film had already been released."

A total of 13 people, including Darshan and Pavithra Gowda, have been arrested in connection with the murder. The court has placed all the accused in judicial custody for six days.

Meanwhile, there is an outrage over the incident with many organisations demanding a harsh punishment for Darshan. Also, people are demanding the film industry to impose a ban on the actor.