Will Dhurandhar 2 Stop Playing At Tamil Nadu Theatres? Madras High Court Gives Verdict

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Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar The Revenge has been at the centre of a legal storm in Tamil Nadu. With assembly elections underway in the state and the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in full effect, a plea was filed before the Madras High Court demanding that the film be pulled off theatre screens until the election process was completely over. The matter was heard on Friday, April 10, by a bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan, who delivered their verdict on the same day. The court's decision has now cleared the air around the film's screening in the state.

Madras High Court Dismisses Plea

The Madras High Court dismissed all petitions that sought a ban on Dhurandhar 2 screenings in Tamil Nadu during the election period. The bench made it clear that there is no existing law in India that bars a film from being screened while the Model Code of Conduct is active.The court also pointed out a key legal gap in the petitioner's argument - the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) certificate granted to the film had not been challenged at any point. The bench firmly stated that without a challenge to the CBFC certificate, it had no legal grounds to stop the movie from playing in theatres.

What Did The Plea State?

The petitioner argued that Dhurandhar 2 violated the Model Code of Conduct. The plea referenced Chapter VII, Clause 4 of the MCC, which prohibits the ruling party from using mass media to publicise its achievements during the election period at public expense. The petitioner claimed the film glorifies the central government's work in areas like counter-terrorism and anti-money laundering operations.A separate counsel went further, claiming the film promotes war propaganda against Pakistan and has contributed to communal tension and violence in parts of northern India.However, the court was not convinced. It ruled that the petitioners had failed to challenge the CBFC certificate, which is the only valid legal route to block a film's release or screening. With no such challenge in place, the court dismissed the pleas entirely.Dhurandhar 2 will continue its theatrical run across Tamil Nadu without any interruption. The spy thriller is directed by and features R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, Sara Arjun, and Rakesh Bedi alongside Ranveer. It released in cinemas worldwide on March 19 in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam.