In a significant update to the ongoing legal battle surrounding the blockbuster Dhurandhar 2, filmmaker Santosh Kumar has provided a formal undertaking to the Bombay High Court.
On Thursday, April 30, 2026, Kumar’s counsel informed Justice Arif Doctor that the filmmaker will refrain from making any further defamatory statements against director Aditya Dhar regarding their script dispute. This comes after Dhar filed a suit seeking to protect his professional reputation from allegations that the film’s screenplay was plagiarized from a registered script titled D Saheb.
Legal Remedies Over Public Accusations
The counsel representing Santosh Kumar stated that his client would now focus on pursuing “appropriate legal remedies” through the courts rather than airing grievances in the public domain. While the court recorded this commitment, it declined to force an immediate apology from Kumar. Senior Advocate Birendra Saraf, appearing for Aditya Dhar, argued that calling a fellow filmmaker a “chor” (thief) publicly was unacceptable and warranted a formal apology. However, Kumar’s legal team opposed this, maintaining that they intend to substantiate their claims during the trial and are not prepared to apologize at this stage.
Origins of the Dhurandhar 2 Dispute
The controversy erupted when Kumar claimed that the high-octane spy sequel, which has recently shattered box office records, was based on his original work, D Saheb.
- The Allegations: Kumar alleged that the core plot and structural elements of Dhurandhar: The Revenge were lifted from his registered script.
- Dhar’s Defense: Aditya Dhar dismissed these claims as baseless and malicious, arguing that such public accusations were causing irreparable harm to his career and the film’s reputation.
- Previous Rulings: Earlier this month, the court had already passed an interim order restraining Kumar from repeating the plagiarism allegations, noting that the filmmaker had failed to respond to a legal notice sent prior to the litigation.
Box Office Success Amid Controversy
Despite the legal turbulence, Dhurandhar 2 continues its historic run in theaters. The film, starring Ranveer Singh in a career-defining role, has recently breached the ₹1,100 crore mark in India and is nearing the ₹1,800 crore milestone globally. While the script dispute continues to play out in the legal corridors of Mumbai, the film’s massive success and “handcrafted” action sequences—notably the real train explosion—have kept the audience’s focus firmly on the screen.