Telugu actor Ram Charan has apologised after mistakenly referring to Indian cricketer Jasprit Bumrah as a footballer during the music launch event of his upcoming film Peddi in Bhopal, a clip of which went viral on social media.

Ram shared the stage with A. R. Rahman, Janhvi Kapoor and other members of the cast and crew at the event.

During an interactive session, the actor was asked to describe some of India’s leading cricketers in a few words. He described Sachin Tendulkar’s journey as a “long, legendary run”, called MS Dhoni “calm and cool”, referred to Rohit Sharma as “everybody’s man”, and used the word “Fire” for Virat Kohli.

However, while speaking about Bumrah, Ram said, “Jasprit Bumrah ji, I am your biggest fan. I love football and football ko itne aage bada rahe ho. Love you, sir.”

The clip quickly spread across social media platforms, prompting reactions and memes from users online.

Ram later took to X to apologise for the mix-up. “Uff… I’m genuinely so forgetful with names sometimes. Apologies to @Jaspritbumrah93 Ji for the mix-up - it was a genuine human error in the middle of all the excitement and the crowd (folded hand emoji),” the actor wrote.

“I truly respect you and I am a huge fan of your game. You make every Indian feel proud when you consistently put batsmen on back foot,” he added.

Directed by Buchi Babu Sana, Peddi is a sports drama that traces a man’s search for identity through sport. The film is produced by Vriddhi Cinemas, co-produced under IVY Entertainment and presented by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings.

The film also stars Shiva Rajkumar, Divyendu and Jagapathi Babu, among others, and is scheduled to release in theatres on June 4.