Filmmaker Santosh Kumar RS recently told the Bombay High Court that he will refrain from making any further defamatory statements against director Aditya Dhar in relation to their ongoing legal dispute over the script of the film Dhurandhar: The Revenge.
Santosh Kumar assures Bombay High Court of no defamatory remarks
According to Live Law, Santosh`s counsel informed single-judge Justice Arif Doctor that his client would pursue appropriate legal remedies instead of speaking publicly about the matter and Aditya Dhar. The counsel also urged the court to take note that his earlier remarks were not directly targeted at Dhar.
Responding to the submission, Justice Doctor observed, “Mr Counsel, that would be a tall order to pass. I will record that going forward, you will not make any defamatory statements.”
Meanwhile, senior advocate Birendra Saraf, representing Dhar, asked the court to direct Kumar to issue an apology for his earlier remarks. Arguing before the single-judge bench, Saraf said, “He should apologise at least… Calling someone a chor publicly is not okay… He should apologise.”
However, Kumar’s counsel opposed the same, stating that his client is of the opinion that he can substantiate his claims and, therefore, would not be offering an apology at this stage.
Subsequently, the court recorded Kumar’s undertaking and disposed of the interim application, while making it clear that no further defamatory statements should be made by Kumar.
About the case
The dispute over the Dhurandhar 2 script dates back to allegations made by Kumar, who alleged that Dhurandhar was based on a script he had earlier registered under the title D Saheb. After the accusations, Dhar had issued a legal notice seeking a withdrawal of the statements. But when he received no response from Kumar, the Dhurandhar director approached the court, arguing that the claims were baseless and were harming his professional reputation.
Earlier this month, the court had passed an interim order restraining Kumar from repeating such allegations in public until further hearings.
Despite the controversy, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, starring Ranveer Singh in the lead role, performed exceptionally well at the box office and continues to generate buzz.