‘Dhurandhar’ faces legal challenge in Pakistan as PPP seeks FIR over alleged defamation
Digital Desk
The Indian film Dhurandhar has run into legal trouble in Pakistan after a petition was filed in a Karachi court alleging that the movie defames the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its late leader, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The petition was submitted on Friday in the District and Sessions Court (South) by PPP worker Mohammad Amir.
The plea accuses the filmmakers of using images of Benazir Bhutto, PPP flags and footage of party rallies in the film’s trailer without authorisation. It further claims that the movie portrays the PPP as a party that supports terrorism, an allegation the petitioner says is false, defamatory and damaging to Pakistan’s international image.
According to the petition, parts of Karachi’s Lyari area have been depicted as a “terrorist war zone,” which the petitioner argues misrepresents the region and promotes negative stereotypes. Particular objection has been raised to the portrayal of a gangster character, played by Akshaye Khanna, who is shown as enjoying alleged political backing from the PPP.
The petitioner has sought court directions for the registration of a first information report (FIR) against the film’s director Aditya Dhar, producers Lokesh Dhar and Jyoti Kishore Deshpande, and actors including Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Beni. The complaint cites multiple provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code relating to defamation, provocation, hate speech and abetment.
Mohammad Amir told the court that he had earlier approached the Darkhshan police station with a written complaint, but no case was registered, prompting him to seek judicial intervention.
The legal move comes even as Dhurandhar continues a strong box office run in India, crossing ₹200 crore within eight days of release. However, the film has been barred from release in several Gulf countries, reportedly due to objections over its Pakistan-related content.
Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar centres on an Indian intelligence operative who infiltrates a criminal network in Pakistan, drawing on real-life terror incidents for its narrative backdrop.
