Bombay High Court Ends Defamation Case Against Director Aditya Dhar Over Dhurandhar Script Row

The Bombay High Court has officially closed a defamation lawsuit filed by director Aditya Dhar against filmmaker Santosh Kumar. The legal battle began after Kumar publicly accused Dhar of stealing the script for his hit film, Dhurandhar: The Revenge.

The dispute reached a conclusion on Tuesday, 5th May 2026, after Santosh Kumar offered a formal apology in court. Aditya Dhar had filed the suit claiming that Kumar’s repeated allegations in the media were damaging his professional reputation.

During the hearing, a single-judge bench of Justice Arif Doctor recorded the settlement. The court order stated, "Mr Bhura, the counsel appearing on behalf of Santosh Kumar (who is present in Court) has tendered an apology for the statements made in the press meeting held on March 30, 2026. Dr Saraf, the Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of Aditya Dhar submits that, in light of the apology tendered, his client does not wish to precipitate the Suit for damages. He accepts the said apology and submits that the Suit can now be accordingly disposed of."

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While the defamation case is now over, the judge noted that Kumar still has the right to legally challenge the script ownership if he chooses. The order clarified, "It is made clear that if Kumar has any claim to make against the Plaintiff with regard to the script of the film 'Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026),' he shall be at liberty to do so."

Santosh Kumar had previously alleged that the plot of the sequel was stolen from his 2023 script titled D-Saheb, which was registered with the Screenwriters Association. He claimed he had shared his work with several production houses before the film was made.

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Dhurandhar Box Office Update

The legal drama follows the record-breaking success of the franchise. The first film, starring Ranveer Singh as an Indian spy, earned over £1,200 million (Rs 1300 crore) worldwide. The sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, released in March 2026, has already collected roughly £1,650 million (Rs 1788 crore) globally.