Delhi HC asks Centre to look into concerns over ‘Dhurandhar’ revealing tactical info

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre and the censor board to consider as representation a PIL raising concerns over Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar: The Revenge revealing tactical and sensitive information on the country’s intelligence and defence operations.

A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said the concern raised by the petitioner, an SSB personnel, in his PIL was not without any material and although movies are made for entertainment, their impact cannot be denied.

“The Censor Board should have some guidelines. We want you to consider this representation and take an informed decision,” the bench orally said.

“This court is of the opinion that the concerns raised by the petitioner need to be considered and addressed appropriately. We dispose of the writ petition with a direction to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and CBFC to consider the entire writ petition as representation of the petitioner and take an appropriate decision on the issues raised,” it ordered.

It asked the authorities to communicate their decision on the petitioner’s representation and any corrective measures to him.

The petitioner contended that the film was in violation of the Official Secrets Act as it showed tactical operations, sensitive locations and agents in “depth”, and some scenes even revealed information that is not in the interest of the country’s security.

He further submitted that actions and characters modelled after high-ranking officials and martyred servicemen are so explicit in the movie that it is not in the country’s best interest, and even certain successful military operations are recalled in the movie.

In the PIL, the petitioner objected to the film using “classified protocols” in certain scenes and depicting “deep cover identities”.

It claimed that the movie has “directly compromised the safety of our on-field undercover agents” and led to local authorities in Karachi being on “spy alert”.

The PIL, therefore, prayed for the framing of a “spy movies protocol” to prevent the showcasing of methods of the country’s agents and revocation of the certification granted to Dhurandhar: The Revenge.

It also prayed for a stay on the broadcast of the film in any cinema hall and OTT platform.