Aditya Dhar calls out 'Al-generated' visual of Hamza smoking while wearing turban after Sikh community files FIR

Dhurandhar filmmaker Aditya Dhar finally broke his silence on a new controversy around his film. Recently, a Mumbai-based Sikh organisation filed an FIR against the makers and the lead actor, Ranveer Singh, for hurting the religious sentiments of the community. They objected to the images of Ranveer Singh's character smoking a cigarette while in a turban.

Aditya Dhar issues statement after claims of hurting Sikh community

Reacting to the allegations, Dhar issued a statement on Thursday and blamed it on Artificial Intelligence (AI). He said that the visuals of Hamza smoking while wearing a turban are "completely untrue".

Warning strict action against such narratives, Dhar said, “I am deeply grateful & indebted for the overwhelming love that Dhurandhar The Revenge has received from audiences across the country and the world. However, it has come to my attention that certain individuals are circulating manipulated visuals by morphing officially released promotional material using artificial intelligence to create false and misleading narratives.”

“One such fabricated image falsely depicts the character Hamza/Jaskirat smoking while wearing a turban. This is completely untrue and does not form part of the film or any official material released by us. It is a deliberate act of misrepresentation intended to provoke and create mischief,” he added.

“Let me state this unequivocally: I hold the highest respect for the Sikh community, and every portrayal in the film has been handled with utmost sensitivity, dignity, and responsibility. Any attempt to suggest otherwise through any doctored content is malicious and dishonest. I urge audiences to rely only on official content and watch the film as it is intended, and not fall prey to Al-generated misinformation being circulated with ulterior motives. Such acts will be dealt with firmly,” the official statement concluded.

R Madhavan's controversial smoking scene

Objections have also been raised to a scene where R Madhavan's character, Ajay Sanyal, recites verses from Guru Granth Sahib while smoking.

Previously, R Madhavan clarified, “Dhurandhar ke pure parivaar ke ore se, aap sabka bahut dhanyavaad humein itna pyaar dene ke liye. Haali mein humko pata chala hai ki kuch logon ko iss baat se takleef hui hai ki iss film ke ek scene mein, Guru Gobind Singh ke Dasam Granth se kuch lines bolte waqt maine cigarette smoke ki hai aur isse unko thes pahunchi hai. Main aapko yakeen dilata hoon yeh bilkul sahi nahi hai. (On behalf of Dhurandhar's entire family, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you for showering us with so much love. Recently, we've learned that some people have been hurt by the fact that in one scene of this film, while reciting lines from Guru Gobind Singh's Dasam Granth, I smoked a cigarette, and it pained them. I assure you, this is absolutely not right.”

He continued by saying that Aditya Dhar told him to put out the cigarette before delivering his line. He said that it is likely he was holding a cigarette at the scene. But there was no smoke as it wasn't lit.

He concluded that there was never an intention to hurt anyone.