An alleged promotional poster for ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ has triggered a day before the film’s theatrical release, after members of the Sikh community objected to an image depicting Ranveer Singh’s character holding a cigarette while wearing a turban. 

The poster, now widely believed to be fan-made or AI-generated, sparked outrage online and prompted a legal notice addressed to the film’s producers, the actor, and regulatory authorities. The film, directed by Aditya Dhar, is scheduled to open in cinemas on 19 March with paid previews on 18 March.

Despite growing buzz and strong advance bookings, the controversy has cast an unexpected cloud over one of the year’s most anticipated Bollywood releases.

Legal notice issued over alleged depiction

According to a report by Firstpost, a member of the Sikh community has issued a legal notice to the makers of ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The complaint objects to scenes and promotional material that purportedly show a Sikh character smoking, a portrayal considered deeply offensive within the faith, where the use of tobacco is strictly forbidden.

The notice demands:

  • Removal of all smoking-related visuals involving the Sikh character
  • Edits to trailers, posters and promotional assets
  • A public apology from the filmmakers
  • Immediate corrective action before release

Sikh community voices concern

The issue intensified after Paramjit Singh Sarna, President of the Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi State), posted the contentious poster on X, calling the depiction “deeply offensive.”

He wrote, “The poster of the Pralay song from the film Dhurandhar 2 depicts a turbaned Sikh character holding a cigarette. This portrayal is deeply offensive and a serious violation of Sikh religious principles. In Sikh tradition, tobacco is strictly prohibited and regarded as a Bajjar Kurehit, one of the gravest breaches of the Sikh code of conduct.”

Sarna added, “Displaying a Sikh wearing a Dastaar while holding a cigarette is therefore a blatant misrepresentation of Sikh identity and hurts the sentiments of Sikhs worldwide.”

He further stated, “The Sikh turban is a sacred article of faith. Its use in this context is completely irrelevant to the narrative of the film and appears to trivialise and misrepresent Sikh beliefs before a global audience. Such imagery directly attacks Sikh sentiments and projects a distorted understanding of the Sikh faith. We urge the concerned authorities to take immediate cognizance of this matter, investigate the portrayal, and direct the makers to remove or correct this offensive poster.”

Netizens point out the poster is unofficial

Shortly after Sarna’s post gained traction, social media users countered the claims, asserting the image was not released by the makers of ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’.

Viewers noted inconsistencies in the artwork, such as incorrect music-label branding and references to a song titled ‘Pralay’, which does not feature in either ‘Dhurandhar’ film.

One user wrote, “There is no such song called Pralay in Dhurandhar2 and the pic you have posted here is not an official one, it is a fanmade poster.”

Another added, “Respected sir please look into the poster, it is a fanmade or AI generated poster. There is no song named pralay in Dhurandhar 2. Music rights of film is with t series and on that poster sa re ga ma music is mentioned.Not official poster.Research before posting.”

Record-breaking advance booking

‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ is off to a blistering start at the box office, with advance ticket sales soaring across India. At PVR INOX, early sales have topped 1.5 lakh tickets, setting a new benchmark for opening-day bookings for a Bollywood title at the multiplex chain.

Tickets are available through the BookMyShow app and website, where demand continues to climb ahead of the nationwide release. Paid preview shows alone have pulled in ₹44.25 crore in advance sales, including block seats, according to data from Sacnilk.

For its first full day in theatres on 19 March, the film has already moved more than 7 lakh tickets across over 17,000 screenings, with Day 1 advance bookings reaching ₹33.6 crore (including block seats).

International markets are showing similar momentum. Early estimates suggest overseas advance bookings for the opening weekend have crossed ₹75 crore.

With combined earnings from paid previews, Day 1 sales and international bookings, ‘Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge’ has already amassed over ₹153 crore for its opening window, even before audiences reach theatres.

Will the controversy affect release?

So far, the makers have not announced any changes to the release strategy or responded publicly to the notice. With advance ticket sales already strong in India and overseas, industry watchers say the backlash may not be significant enough to cause delays, though last-minute clarifications or edits cannot be ruled out.

The film, with a runtime of 229 minutes (3 hours and 49 minutes), features a large ensemble cast including Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun.