The family of Ashoka Chakra awardee late Major Mohit Sharma has approached the Delhi High Court to prevent the release of Ranveer Singh's film Dhurandhar. The film is set to hit the theatres on Dec. 5, 2025.
They have sought an injunction to halt the film's release and public screenings, arguing it portrays Major Mohit Sharma's undercover operations, personal life, and heroic death without approval from his family or the Indian Army.
The petition points out that scenes in the Dhurandhar trailer and marketing "unmistakably mirror" Major Sharma's service record, particularly his counter-insurgency work in Kashmir.
This petition from Major Mohit Sharma's family comes shortly after director Aditya Dhar took to X to clarify that the film is not based on the late officer.
“Our film Dhurandhar is not based on the life of braveheart Major Mohit Sharma AC(P) SM. This is an official clarification,” Dhar posted on X.
Hi, sir - our film Dhurandhar is not based on the life of braveheart Major Mohit Sharma AC(P) SM.
This is an official clarification.
I assure you, if we do make a biopic on Mohit sir in the future, we will do it with full consent and in complete consultation with the family,…November 26, 2025AdvertisementMany reports and online forums have highlighted similarities between Singh's portrayal and Major Mohit Sharma's story. The family contends that filmmakers neither credited this connection nor sought their input during production or thereafter.
The plea said, "a martyr is not a commercial commodity" and that Major Sharma's life cannot be used "for profit, without truth, dignity, or due permission."
The family said that the film's unapproved portrayal breaches Major Sharma's right to posthumous personality protection, as enshrined in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. They also maintain that it undermines their own privacy, honour, and mental peace.
The petitioners contend that Dhurandhar depicts sensitive military tactics, infiltration techniques, and operational secrets without any evidence that the filmmakers secured approval or script clearance from the Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI).
AdvertisementThe ADGPI serves as the authority for Indian Army's depictions in cinema and broadcasts.
The petition lists government departments and filmmakers as parties to the case, including the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, ADGPI, director and co-producer Aditya Dhar, Jio Studios, and producer Jyoti Deshpande.
The petition urges the Delhi High Court to impose a stay on the release of Dhurandhar until Major Sharma's family is granted the opportunity to view the film privately.
Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, and Arjun Rampal.
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