The upcoming Bollywood film 'Dhurandhar' starring Ranveer Singh and directed by Aditya Dhar has landed in legal turmoil after the family of Ashoka Chakra awardee Major Mohit Sharma filed a petition in the Delhi High Court alleging unauthorized commercial exploitation of their son's life story.
Family Alleges Exploitation of Martyr's Legacy
Seventy-seven-year-old Sushila Sharma and 75-year-old Rajendra Prasad Sharma, the grieving parents of the martyred army officer, have approached the court claiming that the film scheduled for December 5 release is being presented as "inspired by true events" and has been widely linked to their son's operations and ultimate sacrifice.
The petition highlights that despite director Aditya Dhar's social media clarification that Ranveer Singh's character isn't based on Major Sharma, the trailer, promotional interviews, and media reports unmistakably connect the fictional character to the real-life hero who was martyred during a counter-terror operation in Kupwara on March 21, 2009.
Legal and Ethical Concerns Raised
The family's legal plea, filed through advocates Roopenshu Pratap Singh and Manish Sharmaa, argues that the true test isn't whether filmmakers verbally deny the linkage, but whether an ordinary viewer would identify the protagonist with the decorated martyr based on military background, operational narrative, and visual portrayal.
The petition raises crucial questions under Article 21 concerning the right to dignity of the deceased, personality rights, and the government's duty to prevent unauthorized commercial exploitation of a national hero's life. The family describes themselves as "humble and grieving parents" who were "deeply shaken" to discover the commercial use of their son's legacy without consent.
National Security Implications
Adding gravity to their case, the family has expressed serious concerns about national security, noting that some of Major Sharma's missions "remain classified in nature." They argue that the depiction of Special Forces operations, military insignia, and counter-terror missions mirrored Major Sharma's operational history and required proper verification and No-Objection Clearance from the Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI).
"In the absence of disclosure by the filmmakers, and considering the highly sensitive nature of the military content shown in the film, the petitioners apprehend that the respondents have proceeded without securing the required approvals," the plea stated.
Comprehensive Legal Action Initiated
The petition has named multiple respondents including the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI), director Aditya Dhar, and Jio Studios president Jyoti Deshpande.
The family is seeking a writ of mandamus to stop the release, distribution, or exhibition of the film until they are shown the unedited version and their concerns are properly addressed. As interim relief, they have requested a complete stay on the film's release and access to the full script, raw footage, and all promotional material.
The petition also highlights that media reports and social media discussions have drawn parallels between other fictional characters in the film and real-life figures including Ajit Doval, Rehman Dakait, Ilyas Kashmiri, and Karachi police officer Chaudhry Aslam Khan, creating what the family calls a "consistent reel-to-real pattern."
This legal battle emerges amid significant anticipation for the film, which marks another collaboration between Aditya Dhar and a major Bollywood star following the success of 'Uri: The Surgical Strike'. The case represents a significant test for Bollywood's practice of creating films "inspired by true events" without formal permissions from affected families.
