A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Allahabad High Court seeking a statewide ban on the Hindi film Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge. The petition, moved by the NGO Kaya Mati, alleges that the movie "illegally" portrays the 2023 assassination of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad as a sovereign act orchestrated by India’s Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). The plea seeks the immediate quashing of the film's censor certificate and its removal from both theaters and OTT platforms.
The petitioner argues that the film's narrative is prejudicial because the murder case of Atiq Ahmad is currently sub judice, with the actual accused currently facing trial. According to the plea, depicting the killing as a planned intelligence operation provides a misleading "conclusion" to viewers and could incite political tensions, especially during the ongoing election season. The NGO expressed particular "astonishment" at the inclusion of an exact replica of the real-life footage of the killing, alongside a scene allegedly showing the Indian government applauding the act.
A division bench consisting of Justice Alok Mathur and Justice Amitabh Kumar Rai heard the matter recently. The bench observed that the allegations presented in the PIL currently appear "unsubstantiated," noting a lack of supporting material to verify the specific claims made about the film's content. Consequently, the Court has granted the petitioner two weeks to file supplementary material and evidence to support their assertions.
The film has already faced similar legal challenges in other jurisdictions. Notably, the Madras High Court recently refused to block its release during the Tamil Nadu polls, despite similar complaints about its potential political impact. Beyond India, the movie has sparked significant international controversy, reportedly facing bans in several Gulf countries while remaining under review by censors in Pakistan.
The petitioner maintains that the portrayal of a secret government operation behind a high-profile criminal case violates election rules and judicial propriety. The upcoming hearing in two weeks will be crucial in determining whether the Court finds sufficient merit to stay the exhibition of the film in Uttar Pradesh.