R. Madhavan clarifies Sikh sentiment controversy over smoking scene in Dhurandhar: The Revenge: 'There's a slight misunderstanding'

R. Madhavan addressed the controversy around Dhurandhar: The Revenge, clarifying a scene involving the Dasam Granth and smoking, stating no intent to hurt Sikh sentiments.

R. Madhavan in Dhurandhar

While Dhurandhar: The Revenge has been breaking records at the box office it landed in controversy. R. Madhavan has responded to the controversy surrounding Dhurandhar: The Revenge after backlash over a scene involving the recitation of lines from the Dasam Granth. The actor clarified that no smoking was done during that sacred moment, as he had extinguished the cigarette beforehand, following the director's instructions.

What did R. Madhavan say about the controversy?

R. Madhavan shared a video regarding the controversy on Instagram and said, "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 also added, "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." The indirect version of that sentence would be: He assured that no smoke would come from his mouth, nor appear on screen, and that he would not be holding a cigarette, emphasizing that the moment was extremely sacred and pure for them.

He explained that he had properly extinguished the cigarette and that, if one watched the scene, no smoke would be visible from his mouth, anywhere in the frame, or at any point until the scene ended. He stressed that they were aware of the sensitivities involved and did not want to hurt anyone's feelings. Madhavan, who played Ajay Sanyal, a strategic and restrained Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief (or National Security Advisor) based on Ajit Doval, expressed solidarity and deep respect for the Sikh community, saying that he visits the Golden Temple before the release of every film and urged people to have faith in his faith.

He concluded by stating that he never intended to hurt anyone. He acknowledged that he may have been holding a cigarette at the start of the scene, as his character smokes, but clarified that it did not appear at all after that point in the scene.

Also Read: Is Dhurandhar 3 on the cards? Here's what casting director Mukesh Chhabra reveals

What is the FIR against Dhurandhar: The Revenge about?

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

He shared an Instagram post and wrote, "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 stated that Gurbani is not merely dialogue, but divine, sacred, and of great spiritual significance to the Sikh community, and that such a depiction showed ignorance and insensitivity toward their faith. He called on the entire Sikh community to unite and peacefully protest against this perceived insult and suggested that if those responsible, Aditya Dhar, R. Madhavan, and Ranveer Singh, do not sincerely apologise to the SGPC and the Sikh community, then they should be shown black flags.

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