Director Rahul Ravindran has decided to delete X from his phone after receiving disturbing messages and death threats aimed at his children during the ongoing controversy surrounding his film, The Girlfriend.
The filmmaker said a hateful post left him so worried that he no longer wanted to stay on the platform, despite using it regularly to follow sports.
The online outrage grew after some users connected The Girlfriend to the Pune murder case involving Ketan Agarwal, even though Rahul later clarified that his film has nothing to do with the incident.
Rahul Ravindran’s Post
Sharing a detailed note on June 30, Rahul revealed that he had opened X only to check football updates while watching the Brazil vs Japan match.
“I was sitting and watching the Brazil v Japan game. I wanted to check a football-related Twitter account about something, and I opened this app. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of checking my notifications too. And I came across this tweet. I wish I hadn’t.”
He admitted that the post triggered an intense emotional reaction and left him battling thoughts that frightened him.
“I kept staring at it for a long time. I kept filling up with rage. I wanted to track this guy down and do unspeakable things to him. The urge was very real. I was, involuntarily, vividly imagining scenarios in my head.”
Rahul said he usually tries to calm himself when he is angry, but this time it took much longer before he felt like himself again.
“My usual response to anger is to tell myself to calm down. But I didn’t want to this time. My head was very hot. A long time passed just sitting there and staring at the game on T.V without watching it. Very slowly my heart rate returned to some semblance of normalcy.”
The director explained that the incident convinced him it was finally time to walk away from X.
“Maybe I am overreacting. Maybe it’s somehow my fault.. maybe my kids and I deserve this hate. But I am done with this app. I’ve been wanting out for a while. The only reason I couldn’t is because it’s the best source of news for sports. Especially Indian sports other than Cricket. But I am done. I didn’t like the guy I was for half hour after I read that tweet. I didn’t like my thoughts. And I am too fiercely self respecting to let something have power over me. Deleting this app from my phone right away.”
I was sitting and watching the Brazil v Japan game. I wanted to check a football related Twitter account about something and I opened this app. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of checking my notifications too. And I came across this tweet. I wish I hadn’t.
I kept staring at… pic.twitter.com/abRnWC58Y2
— Rahul Ravindran (@23_rahulr) June 29, 2026
Why The Girlfriend Was Dragged Into The Ketan Agarwal Case
The controversy began after a section of social media users linked The Girlfriend to the Ketan Agarwal murder case. Ketan was allegedly pushed off a cliff at Lohagad Fort by his fiancee, Siya Goyal, and her boyfriend, Chetan Chaudhary.
One X user shared a still from the film and argued that movies like The Girlfriend promote narratives that favour women while ignoring crimes committed by women. Another user tagged Rahul and asked him to make “one movie on atrocities of women on men”.
Responding to the criticism, Rahul said he does not see such crimes as a battle between men and women. Instead, he believes individual crimes and wider social inequalities should not be confused.
“I see some horrible incidents of sociopathic human beings who happen to be women, committing horrible crimes. On the other hand… I see a self sustaining system that has lasted centuries that suffocates women… that through invisible, everyday microaggressions, forces them to shrink their identities. That doesn’t offer them an equal world. This is from my perspective. I’ve seen so many women around me suffer silently because of it. And I chose to convey that through this story. I felt responsible for it as a man… because I benefit from the power equation.”
He also said he had not yet gone through the details of the Ketan Agarwal case but would not rule out telling such a story if he found it worth exploring.
I don’t claim to know everything bro… so educate me if I am wrong. But I don’t see atrocities of ‘women’ on ‘men’ at all. I see some horrible incidents of sociopathic human beings who happen to be women, committing horrible crimes. On the other hand… I see a self sustaining… https://t.co/dwx5Ig3kIu
— Rahul Ravindran (@23_rahulr) June 25, 2026
Rahul also addressed criticism about the male lead in The Girlfriend, played by Dheekshith Shetty. He pointed out that the character is neither physically abusive nor unfaithful, adding that the film explores a very different issue from what many online users have assumed.
