'Deliberate' act to 'create mischief': Aditya Dhar clarifies images of Ranveer Singh smoking while wearing turban fabricated

Dhurandhar: The Revenge is getting trapped in controversies one day after another.

From being labelled as a propaganda film to being accused of hurting Sikh sentiments, the film is making headlines for more than one reason.

Just recently, the images of Ranveer Singh's character smoking cigarette while wearing a turban went viral.

Now, Aditya Dhar has cleared the air and said that the images are are "completely untrue" and fabricated to create mischief.

Dhar also warned that such manipulation of the images will be "dealt with firmly".

While the Aditya Dhar directorial has been breaking box office records worldwide, the makers and actors are facing several challenges while still basking in the glory of the success of the film.

Addressing the issue, Dhar, in a statement given to PTI on March 26, said, "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," the statement added.

The controversy heated up after a police complaint was filed against the makers and the actor for the image which shows Ranveer Singh's character smoking while wearing a turban.

Further clarifying the controversy, Dhar said that the portrayal of all the Sikh characters have been handled with utmost responsibility.

"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," Dhar said in the statement.

As per a PTI report, a Mumbai-based Sikh organisation had raised their voice against the image of Ranveer's character smoking while in turban and also a scene where R Madhavan's character recites verses from Guru Granth Sahib, which, according to them, happens while he is smoking.

However, R Madhavan was also quick to clarify the controversy and called it misunderstanding.

In a video message posted on social media, Madhavan clarified that the cigarette was put out way before he began reciting the verse and it is nothing but a mere misunderstanding. He assured the fans that the portrayal was handled with utmost care.

On the other hand, the Ranveer Singh starrer is roaring at the box office as it has collected Rs 1000 cr in a week becoming the second-fastest Indian film to reach the mark after Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2, which crossed ₹1000 crore in six days.