Did ‘Dhurandhar’ reveal India's military secrets? Delhi High Court steps in
Government and CBFC asked to examine claims that spy thriller disclosed sensitive details
Dubai: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to examine allegations that the blockbuster spy thriller Dhurandhar: The Revenge disclosed sensitive operational details linked to India’s armed forces and intelligence agencies.
The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Deepak Kumar, a head constable with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), who claimed that certain scenes in the film revealed tactical procedures, intelligence methods and operational patterns that could compromise national security and endanger undercover personnel.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that while the film may be fictional and made for entertainment, the concerns raised by a serving security force personnel could not be brushed aside.
“Even if the movie is a work of fiction and is made for entertainment purposes, the impact of the movie can’t be denied,” the Bench observed.
The court directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and the CBFC to treat the PIL itself as a representation and take an “appropriate decision” on the issues raised, including allegations that the film may have breached provisions of the Official Secrets Act.
Real-life operations
According to the petition, certain locations, actions and characters portrayed in the movie appeared to closely resemble real-life military and intelligence operations and senior officials, making the depiction “too explicit” from a national security perspective.
The plea argued that hostile agencies could potentially study the film to identify operational patterns and tactics used by Indian forces.
The petitioner’s counsel told the court that a representation objecting to the film had already been submitted to the MIB and the CBFC on March 23 this year.
The petition also sought the framing of special guidelines for what it described as “Spy Protocol Movies” and requested a stay on the screening of the film.
However, the High Court disposed of the PIL after directing authorities to examine the concerns and take a decision.
Directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh, the two-part Dhurandhar franchise has emerged as one of India’s biggest box-office successes, with both films reportedly grossing over ₹1,000 crore each.
The case now places one of the country’s most commercially successful film franchises at the centre of a growing debate over the line between cinematic realism and national security.
