Dravidianist filmmaker Pa Ranjith has landed in controversy after he reportedly participated in the Hexaware Dream Runners Half Marathon 2026 using another participant’s race bib, resulting in the registered runner being disqualified from the event.
Images shared on social media show PA Ranjith wearing bib number 22092 during the 21.1-km Half Marathon. Race records identify bib 22092 as belonging to Navin Krubhakar A U, who was registered in the Male Open Half Marathon category.
However, the official race results for bib number 22092 show the participant as DSQ (Disqualified) despite the timing chip recording the runner’s progress throughout the race.
According to the official results:
Bib Number: 22092
Registered Runner: Navin Krubhakar A U
Category: Male Open Half Marathon
Status: DSQ (Disqualified)
In marathon events, participants are generally prohibited from transferring or using another person’s bib. Such actions undermine race integrity, interfere with participant identification and emergency protocols, and can result in disqualification. Bib swapping is commonly listed among violations that attract disciplinary action.
The audacity of the act is staggering. Ranjith effectively erased Navin Krubhakar’s participation by commandeering his identity on the track. When the final results were published, the bib bore only one designation: DSQ (Disqualified).
Let that sink in: Navin Krubhakar A U, who did nothing wrong, who registered in good faith, who likely trained and paid for his spot, has been wiped from the official standings because a celebrity decided his fame entitled him to cut corners. Meanwhile, Ranjith’s own name does not even appear in the results – because he never officially entered. He was a ghost runner, hijacking someone else’s effort for his own vanity.
This is not a minor infraction. This is theft of participation – and PA Ranjith should be held fully accountable for it.
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