Dhurandhar Script Theft Row: Why Did Bombay HC Restrain Santosh Kumar From Accusing Director Aditya Dhar?

National

Award winning director Aditya Dhar has got a big relief in the recent case against him related to his blockbuster film Dhurandhar: The Revenge. On Wednesday (April 8), the Bombay High Court has issued an important interim order. The court has issued the order which restrains filmmaker Santosh Kumar RS from repeating his allegations that director Aditya Dhar copied his script for the hit spy-thriller Dhurandhar.

Bombay HC restrains Santosh Kumar from accusing Aditya Dhar in Dhurandhar script theft case

According to recent report, the Uri: The Surgical Strike director had approached the court, arguing that Kumar’s repeated claims were defamatory and were harming his professional reputation. Justice Arif Doctor, while hearing the matter, observed that Dhar had made a prima facie case that warranted interim relief.

In its order, the court directed that until the next hearing, Santosh Kumar must refrain from repeating the statements mentioned in Dhar’s suit, as well as any similar allegations. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on April 16.

What we know about Dhurandhar script theft case?

According to the plea, filmmaker Santosh Kumar began making these accusations after the release of Dhurandhar: The Revenge, the sequel to the 2025 film Dhurandhar. He alleged that the film was based on his registered script titled D Saheb. Before moving to court, Dhar had sent a legal notice to Kumar, denying all allegations of plagiarism and asking him to stop making such claims. However, when Kumar did not respond, Dhar proceeded with legal action through DSK Legal. His lawyer, Birendra Saraf, told the court that the ongoing accusations were causing serious and irreparable damage to Dhar’s reputation.Santosh Kumar RS, on the other hand, has always said that his work was used without giving him credit. He says that the similarities between his script and the movie are too strong to be written off as a coincidence. According to him, the story, narrative structure, and several important elements of the film closely resemble a script he had written in 2023.

Speaking about the issue, Kumar expressed his disappointment and said the situation has been deeply upsetting. He stated that he had developed the script with considerable effort and had shared it with multiple production houses in the hope of securing backing from a corporate studio, especially since he was advised that working with major actors would require such support. It was only after watching the film, he claimed, that he felt his story had been used without his consent.Meanwhile, despite the controversy, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, directed by Aditya Dhar and starring Ranveer Singh, continues to perform exceptionally well at the box office. The film has crossed Rs 1500 crore worldwide and remains one of the biggest commercial successes in recent times.