Post by : Mariam
Al-Faris
Ranveer Singh’s upcoming film Dhurandhar has received clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and is scheduled for release on December 5. This comes a week after the family of late Major Mohit Sharma-Ashoka Chakra and Sena Medal approached the Delhi High Court, requesting a stay on the film, claiming it reflected his life and military career without consent.
The CBFC has certified the film with an 'A' rating and confirmed that Dhurandhar is a fictional story. It also revealed the film’s official synopsis and a four-minute post-credits scene, teasing a sequel. The film runs for 214 minutes (3 hours 34 minutes) and is set against the backdrop of the 1999 IC-814 hijacking and the 2001 Indian Parliament attack. The story follows India’s Intelligence Bureau Chief Ajay Sanyal, played by R. Madhavan, who recruits a 20-year-old boy from Punjab for a secret mission to infiltrate and dismantle a terrorist network in Pakistan.
While there had been speculation that Ranveer Singh’s character, Hamza, was based on Major Mohit Sharma, the CBFC clarified that Hamza is a spy created by the IB Chief, not an Indian Army officer. The film also features real-life-inspired characters, including gang leader Rehman Dakait (Akshaye Khanna) and SP Chaudhary Aslam, a top cop from Pakistan, played by Sanjay Dutt. The story is set in Pakistan’s Lyari, where gang activity surged in the early 2000s.
Major Sharma’s family argued that the film mirrored his military career, including counter-terrorism operations in Kashmir, without their permission. They emphasized that "a martyr is not a commercial commodity" and claimed the film violated Major Sharma’s posthumous personality rights, along with the family’s right to dignity and privacy. The family’s petition noted that the film heavily drew inspiration from Major Sharma’s life and undercover missions, yet no consultation was done with them or the Indian Army.
The CBFC stated that the producers made several modifications to comply with the law and certification requirements. Certain violent opening scenes were removed, intense shots in the second half were toned down, a character’s name was changed, a curse word was muted, and anti-drug disclaimers were added. These edits ensured that the film meets legal and regulatory standards while maintaining its original runtime.
Director Aditya Dhar clarified on social media that Dhurandhar is a work of fiction. He added that the team would have sought permission if the film had been based on a real person. The CBFC reaffirmed that the movie bears no direct or indirect resemblance to Major Sharma’s life and does not require additional review by the Army.
Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi. The post-credits scene sets up a sequel, continuing the story of the intelligence operation. The film is now cleared for public viewing, ending the legal and certification hurdles ahead of its December 5 release.
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