Request registration of FIR against the director, producers, actors and relevant staff of the film.
A constitutional petition has been filed in a Karachi court against the Indian film Dhurandhar for the unauthorized use of images of the late Benazir Bhutto, the flag of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and footage of party rallies in its trailer. The petition also accuses the film of portraying the PPP as supporting terrorists.
The petition was filed by PPP activist Muhammad Amir in the District and Sessions Court (South) in Karachi. Seek an FIR against the film’s director, producers, actors and other relevant personnel involved in the creation and promotion of the film.
The petition names director Aditya Dhar, producers Lokesh Dhar and Jyoti Kishore Deshpande, and actors Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sara Arjun and Rakesh Beni. It also lists cinematographer Vikash Nolcha, editor Shiv Kumar V Panicker and other unnamed crew members as proposed accused.
According to the petition, the official trailer includes images of the late former prime minister and visuals of the PPP without legal permission. It alleges that the film portrays the PPP as sympathetic to terrorists and labels the Lyari area of Karachi as a “terrorist war zone”, which, according to the petitioner, is defamatory, misleading and detrimental to the reputation of Pakistan.
The petitioner maintains that the trailer promotes hatred, contempt and incitement against the PPP, its leaders and its supporters. It cites sections 499, 500, 502, 504, 505, 153-A and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deal with defamation, criminal intimidation, provocation to provoke riots and promoting enmity between groups.
Amir said he had earlier submitted a written complaint to the SHO Darakhshan police station, but the police did not register a case or initiate legal action, prompting him to file a petition in the court.
The petition requests the court to order the police to immediately register an FIR, direct the SSP South to ensure a transparent and impartial investigation, and ensure that all responsible individuals are named in the investigation related to the film.
