New Delhi, Nov 28 (IANS) The parents of Ashoka Chakra awardee Late Major Mohit Sharma have moved the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the release of the upcoming film ‘Dhurandhar’, alleging that the movie has been made and promoted by “exploiting” the life, persona and military service of the decorated 1 Para (Special Forces) officer without their consent.

The writ petition, filed by 77-year-old Sushila Sharma and 75-year-old Rajendra Prasad Sharma, contended that the film, slated for release on December 5, is being publicly projected as “inspired by true events” and widely associated with the late officer’s undercover operations and martyrdom.

The plea claimed that the trailer, promotional interviews and media reports unmistakably link Ranveer Singh’s protagonist to Major Sharma, who made the supreme sacrifice during a counter-terrorism operation in Kupwara on March 21, 2009.

Calling themselves “humble and grieving parents”, the petitioners state that they were “deeply shaken” on discovering that the respondents had “used, portrayed, fictionalised and commercially exploited” the life of their martyr son “without seeking, obtaining, or even attempting to obtain” their consent.

“The true legal test is not whether the respondents verbally deny such linkage, but whether a reasonable, ordinary viewer – upon viewing the trailer, promotional material, character design, military background, operational narrative, visual portrayal and storyline – would unmistakably identify the protagonist with the real-life decorated martyr,” said the plea filed through advocates advocates Roopenshu Pratap Singh and Manish Sharmaa.

“The present petition, therefore, raises fundamental questions involving Article 21, the right to dignity of the deceased, personality and biographical rights, and the government’s duty to prevent unauthorised and potentially distorted commercial exploitation of a national hero’s life,” it added.

The petition arrayed the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI), film director Aditya Dhar and Jio Studios president Jyoti Deshpande as respondents.

The plea seeks a writ of mandamus restraining the release, distribution or exhibition of the film “in any manner whatsoever” until the family is shown the unedited version and their concerns are addressed.

The plea alleged that the depiction of Special Forces operations, military insignia, counter-terror missions and a protagonist mirroring Major Sharma’s operational history required mandatory verification and No-Objection Clearance from the Army’s ADGPI.

“In the absence of disclosure by the filmmakers, and considering the highly sensitive nature of the military content shown in the film, the petitioners apprehend that the respondents have proceeded without securing the required approvals,” the petition stated.

Expressing grave concerns about national security, the petition said that some of Major Sharma’s missions “remain classified in nature”.

The plea also argued that the unauthorised portrayal violates the doctrine of posthumous dignity and the family’s right to reputation under Article 21.

The plea further referred to multiple mainstream reports and social media discussions identifying Ranveer Singh’s character with Major Sharma, and mapping other reel characters to real-world figures, including Ajit Doval, Rehman Dakait, Ilyas Kashmiri and Karachi police officer Chaudhry Aslam Khan.

“This consistent reel-to-real pattern leaves no doubt” that the film is derived from actual persons, the family argued.

As interim relief, the petition seeks a complete stay on the film’s release, a private screening for the family, production of the full script, raw footage and promotional material before the Delhi High Court, and a temporary halt on all advertising and trailer dissemination.

–IANS

pds/svn