Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma took to X and compared Diwali with the war in the Gaza Strip. "In India, only one day is Diwali, and in Gaza, every day is Diwali," Varma wrote on X. Varma's post triggered criticism on social media. "The comparison is deeply hurtful and inaccurate," a person commented, while another person called the post "Distasteful".