📌 Key Points
- Karnataka HC dismissed a petition to cancel Dhurandhar’s censor certificate.
- Filmmaker Santosh Kumar accused Aditya Dhar of plagiarizing his script ‘D Saheb’.
- Bombay HC secured Santosh Kumar’s assurance not to defame Aditya Dhar.
- Dhar’s legal team sought an apology from Kumar for calling him ‘chor’ (thief).
In a significant legal development for Bollywood, filmmaker Aditya Dhar secured victories in the Dhurandhar plagiarism row. The Karnataka High Court upheld the film’s censor certificate, while the Bombay High Court ensured the accuser would refrain from defaming Dhar, marking a crucial turn in the ongoing dispute.
Karnataka HC Upholds Dhurandhar Censor Certificate
In two separate cases linked to the plagiarism row over Dhurandhar, filmmaker Aditya Dhar secured minor victories on Thursday. First, the Karnataka High Court dismissed a writ petition from filmmaker Santosh Kumar seeking cancellation of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certificate granted to Dhurandhar. On the same day, the filmmaker, who has accused Dhar of stealing his script for the film, assured Bombay High Court he will not make ‘defamatory statements’ against the director.
In a separate case filed by Dhar against Santosh over alleged defamation, Santosh assured the Bombay High Court that he would not make defamatory statements against Dhar till the matter is sub judice. The statement was made before Justice Arif Doctor by Kumar’s counsel, who submitted that his client would pursue appropriate legal remedies against Dhar and not make any public statements. When Aditya Dhar’s lawyers demanded an apology for calling him ‘chor’ (thief), Santosh’s legal team refused, saying the complainant believes he is right.
Bombay HC: Filmmaker Agrees Not to Defame Dhar
After the release of Dhurandhar 2, Santosh Kumar made the allegations saying that the plot of Dhurandhar 2 was copied from his registered script titled D Saheb. The filmmaker added that his script had been registered with the Screenwriters Association of India (SWA) and thathe would take legal action against Dhar.
Aditya Dhar initially issued a legal notice to Kumar, denying any plagiarism, asking him not to make further allegations. However, when the latter failed to respond, Dhar moved the Bombay HC.
The Plagiarism Allegations: A Recap
The two Dhurandhar films star Ranveer Singh as an Indian spy. The films also feature R Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi, and Sara Arjun in pivotal roles.
These court decisions mark a temporary reprieve for Aditya Dhar and the Dhurandhar franchise, reinforcing the film’s legal standing while curbing public defamation. The underlying plagiarism dispute, however, remains active, promising further legal battles ahead.
