Madhavan breaks silence on Dhurandhar 2 ‘Gurbani’ scene controversy, says Aditya Dhar gave clear instructions

A fresh controversy has hit Dhurandhar 2 after a complaint was filed in Mumbai over a scene involving actor R Madhavan. The objection centres on a sequence where his character, Ajay Sanyal, is seen reciting a verse from the Dasam Granth while smoking. The complaint alleges that the depiction hurts Sikh religious sentiments. Responding quickly, Madhavan released a video statement on Instagram, denying any disrespect and calling the issue a “misunderstanding.”

What R Madhavan said about Dhurandhar Gurbani controversy

In his video message, R Madhavan addressed the concerns directly and thanked audiences for their support before clarifying the disputed scene.

"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 further explained that the scene had been carefully handled during filming under director Aditya Dhar.

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A post shared by R. Madhavan (@actormaddy)

"Thodi galatfehmi hai. Mujhe pura yakeen hai, yeh scene se pehle, yeh line bolne se pehle Aditya Dhar ji ne-jo mujhse zyada dhyaan rakhte hain inn sab cheezon ka-mujhe bola tha ki yeh line bolne se pehle, usse bahut pehle aap cigarette bujha dijiyega. Aur na aapke mooh se dhuaan niklega, na hi screen pe kahin dhuaan hoga, nahi aapke haath mein cigarette hogi. Kyunki yeh humaare liye bahut hi pavitra aur paak hai. (There's a slight misunderstanding. I am absolutely certain that before this scene, before saying this line, Aditya Dhar ji, who pays more attention to all these things than I do—told me to put out the cigarette well before delivering this line. So, no smoke would come out of your mouth, nor would there be any smoke on screen, and you wouldn't have a cigarette in your hand. Because this is extremely sacred and pure for us.)"

He added that the final cut reflects that intent.

"Toh maine bakayda cigarette bujha diya tha. Aur agar aap scene dekhenge, aapko dikhega nahi ki mere mooh se dhuaan nikal rahi hai, nahi frame mein kahin dhuaan hai, nahi woh scene end hone tak dhuaan ka naamo-nishaan kahin pe hai. Kyunki yeh humein pata hai, hum kisi ka dil dukhaana nahi chahte. Hum pure Sikh community ke saath hain. Aur hum unka bahut aadar karte hain. Main apne har film release ke pehle Golden Temple jaata hoon, yeh sabko pata hai. Humara yakeen maniye. ("So, I had properly extinguished the cigarette. And if you watch the scene, you won't see any smoke coming out of my mouth, nor is there smoke anywhere in the frame, nor is there any trace of smoke until the end of that scene. Because we know this—we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. We stand with the entire Sikh community. And we respect them a lot. I go to the Golden Temple before every film release of mine; everyone knows this. Please trust our belief")"

Madhavan concluded by saying there was no intention to offend and clarified that while his character is shown smoking initially, it does not continue during the recitation.

FIR filed over scene

According to a report, a formal complaint was lodged at Mumbai’s Mulund Police Station by Gurjeet Singh Kher, a Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader and president of Sikhs in Maharashtra.

In a social media post, Kher strongly criticised the filmmakers and actors, including Ranveer Singh.

"I strongly condemn the blatant disrespect shown towards Gurbani by the makers of Dhurandhar 2. Portraying a character @actormaddy talking to @ranveersingh while smoking a cigarette and reciting sacred Gurbani 'Siraso pehchaniye jo Lade Deen ke Heth' is deeply hurtful and unacceptable."

He added: "Gurbani is not mere dialogue-it is divine, sacred, and holds immense spiritual significance for the Sikh community. Such irresponsible depiction reflects ignorance and a lack of sensitivity towards our faith."

Calling for action, he wrote: "I urge the entire Sikh community to stand united and peacefully protest this insult. Show black flags to those responsible-Aditya Dhar, R Madhavan, and Ranveer Singh-wherever they appear, if they fail to issue a sincere apology to the SGPC and the Sikh community,"

He further warned: "Apologise immediately, or history has shown what the Sikh community is capable of."

Kher also highlighted that the verse used in the film carries historical weight, linking it to the period of persecution during the rule of Aurangzeb.

Dhurandhar 2 Revenge

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar 2 continues the story of Ranveer Singh’s character Hamza Ali Mazari, also known as Sher-e-Baloch. The film traces his transformation from Jaskirat Singh Rangi into a covert operative who enters Pakistan to avenge terror attacks.

The spy-action sequel features a large ensemble cast, including Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Rakesh Bedi, Danish Pandor and Sara Arjun.