It might look like vandalism, but the Indians in this photo are spraying milk on a billboard to show their love. Shivaji Rao Gaekwad–known as Rajinikanth–is one of India’s most popular actors, and for decades, fans have regularly bathed pictures of him in milk, a ritual usually reserved for Hindu idols. “We don’t treat him as an actor, but as a god,” says Rajini Santosh, president of a Rajinikanth fan club. But the practice has been causing controversy in this country of 1.3 billion: With die-hard fans using up to 16,000 gallons of milk a day after one of his films is released, India sometimes experiences milk shortages, leading some Indians to steal milk just for the ritual. The actor has admonished his fans to end the practice, but to little avail. “We can see god in him,” says Santosh, “so why should we stop?”