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Legal fights, boycott calls, and industry outcry: The controversial road to Dhurandhar's success

Aditya Dhar's espionage thriller navigated a non-biopic consent issue and the 'Cancel Culture' critique of Yami Gautam to dominate the box office.

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Karina Michwal
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The espionage thriller navigated a non-biopic consent issue and the 'Cancel Culture' critique of Yami Gautam to dominate the box office.

Aditya Dhar’s espionage thriller Dhurandhar hit theaters on Friday and is enjoying a thunderous run at the box office. However, the much-anticipated release of the film was mired by a string of controversies, propelling public scrutiny and a legal challenge. The most prominent issue arose when parents of the late Major Mohit Sharma objected to the film’s release, arguing that the lead character was based on their decorated son’s life and the film was made without their consent or consultation, and sought a court-order stay for a private screening before public release. 

Ever since the trailer was released, numerous media reports and virtual discourse drew parallels between Ranveer Singh’s character, who, like Major Sharma, infiltrates a Pakistani terror nexus to extract intel and neutralize attacks on our home soil. According to media reports, the petition filed by Ashok Chakra awardee Major Mohit Sharma's family stated that several elements shown in the film’s promotional material “unmistakably mirror” Major Sharma's military career and emphasised that “a martyr is not a commercial commodity” and that his life cannot be recreated “for profit, without truth, dignity, or due permission.” The family also argued that the film's unauthorised portrayal infringes Major Sharma's posthumous personality rights and violated their right to privacy, dignity, and emotional well-being.

Also Read:Box office report: Dhurandhar mints Rs. 106.50 crores over the weekend amidst roaring reviews by the Janta!

The dispute immediately led to director Aditya Dhar issuing a public clarification that the film was purely a work of fiction and not a biopic of the martyr. Later, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), after re-examining the film, following the Delhi High Court’s directions, also concluded that Dhurandhar bears no direct or indirect resemblance to the martyr’s life, assigning it an adult certificate as a work of fiction.

However, another controversy awaited Dhurandhar at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on November 28. During the event, Ranveer Singh attempted to mimic a key sequence from the Kannad film Kantara, specifically the portrayal of the Daiva, a revered deity in Tulu culture by actor and director Rishab Shetty. Social media users widely condemned his act as ‘disrespectful’ and ‘insensitive’ and the actor was particularly criticised for allegedly referring to the revered Chamundi Daiva as a ‘female ghost.’ The act sparked massive outrage on social media, with a section of users calling out to boycott the film to protest the actor's perceived disrespect.

Here's how social media users reacted to it:

Singh later issued an apology to address the controversy-

But that wasn’t all! The eve of Dhurandhar’s release also witnessed some drama and negativity owing to last-minute cancellations of press shows citing a technical glitch. Reacting to this, actress and Aditya Dhar’s wife, Yami Gautam, took to social media and shared an elaborate note urging the film fraternity to end the culture of creating "hype" for a movie using paid campaigns. Stressing how Dhurandharis facing the ire of “cancel culture”, even before its release. The actress also spoke about the hard work her husband has put into making the film.

Calling out paid gimmicks, the actress said, "There is something I have been wanting to express for a really long time. I feel today is that day, and I must. This so-called trend of giving money in the guise of marketing a film to ensure good 'hype' for that film, or else 'they' will continuously write negative things (even before the film is released) until you pay 'them' money, feels like nothing but extortion."She continued, "Just because this arrangement is accessible to anyone-whether to 'hype' a film or spread negativity against another actor or a film-is a plague that will affect the future of our industry in a big way." The actress maintained that if some people think "it's a new trend, so let's do it," it is a big mistake and added that this practice will ultimately harm everyone. Furthermore, she wrote, "If the truth is exposed about a million things under the guise of who and what 'success' is over the past five years, unfortunately, it won't be a pretty picture for many." Gautam also praised the South Indian film industry, as they "stand united on all fronts," and urged directors, producers and actors of the industry to come together and discourage this harmful trend. She concluded by saying that the joy of filmmaking should not be diminished and that audiences should decide what they feel about the film after watching it.

A lot of social media users, including Hrithik Roshan, echoed the sentiment and expressed their concern about this dangerous trend. 

Nevertheless, the pre-release turbulence and other intense discussions regarding the film in fact added to Dhurandhar’s visibility, creating a hype that contributed to public anticipation and its success at the box office. However, ​that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is also important to acknowledge and respect a martyr's family's ethical concerns, keeping in mind that they have every right to seek dignity, accuracy, and consent regarding the posthumous portrayal of their loved one, even if the project claims to be entirely fictional. And as far as the word regarding the film is considered, makers have the freedom to address real-life events and express their perspective, and the audience needs to consume it as a piece of craft while also engaging in a healthy discussion regarding the themes and narratives a film portrays or promotes instead of trolling people involved in making it or critics for giving their opinion on it.

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Yami Gautam ranveer singh Aditya Dhar Dhurandhar