Bombay High Court Suggests Amicable Settlement in Dhurandhar 2 Script Dispute
The legal battle between filmmaker Aditya Dhar and writer Santosh Kumar over the script of the blockbuster sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge may be heading toward a quiet resolution. On Thursday, the Bombay High Court urged both parties to settle their differences amicably rather than allowing the defamation suit to escalate further.
Justice Arif Doctor, presiding over the case, observed that disputes regarding intellectual property and authorship are often best resolved through mediation and structured legal channels rather than prolonged litigation in the public eye.
Legal Channels vs. Public Statements
The conflict intensified after Santosh Kumar publicly alleged that the script for the sequel was plagiarized from his own work. In response, Aditya Dhar filed a defamation suit, seeking damages and an injunction against what he termed “baseless and defamatory” claims. During the proceedings, the court offered clear guidance on how such disputes should be handled:
- The Right to Claim: Justice Doctor acknowledged that Kumar is entitled to assert authorship if he believes his work was copied.
- The Proper Forum: The court emphasized that these claims must be pursued through civil remedies and proper legal filings, rather than through public statements in the media.
- Restraint: The court reiterated that disagreements over creative credit should not manifest as public exchanges that could damage reputations.
Moving Toward Resolution
Senior Advocate Birendra Saraf, representing Aditya Dhar, argued that the plagiarism allegations should not be repeated in public and must be restricted to the courtroom. Meanwhile, Kumar’s counsel informed the court that his client’s primary grievance is asserting the story’s authorship and that he would seek instructions regarding the court’s suggestion to pursue a settlement.
This follows a previous ruling on April 8, where the High Court had already restrained Kumar from making further defamatory statements about the film’s script. By encouraging an “amicable settlement,” the court is signaling a preference for a dignified resolution for two creative professionals involved in one of India’s most successful film franchises.
