After facing multiple delays due to interventions by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Dhadak 2 may finally see release. Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, this spiritual sequel to the 2018 film Dhadak features Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri in lead roles, with Shazia Iqbal directing. While Dhadak was a remake of the acclaimed Marathi film Sairat, Dhadak 2 is an official adaptation of the 2018 Tamil drama Pariyerum Perumal. Dhadak 2 Confirmed! Karan Johar Reveals Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri As Lead Duo for Shazia Iqbal’s Upcoming Film (Watch Video).

Written and directed by Mari Selvaraj, Pariyerum Perumal (starring Kathir and Anandhi) was a love story set against caste discrimination. The film received critical acclaim for its raw portrayal of oppression faced by marginalised communities, becoming one of Indian cinema’s most significant social commentaries.

However, Dhadak 2 risks diluting the original’s impact - not just through translation but due to heavy censoring.

Announcement Video of 'Dhadak 2'

As per an exclusive The Hindu report, the CBFC has approved the film only after imposing major cuts and a U/A 16+ rating (unrestricted public exhibition with parental guidance for under-16s). The certification follows repeated postponements as makers struggled to clear censors.

Key Censorship Edits in 'Dhadak 2'

Dialogue Modifications

1. Original: "3,000 years of backlog will not be cleared in just 70 years."

Revised: "The backlog of age-old discrimination will not be cleared in just 70 years."

2. References to BSP founder Kanshi Ram and caste disparity (via a pen-nib metaphor) altered.

3. Original:  "Dharam ka kaam hai"

Revised: "Punya ka kaam hai"

4. Original dialogue: "Savarnon ke sadak… humein jala dete the" (Upper castes’ roads would burn us).

Revised: "Na sadke hamari thi, na zameen hamari thi, na paani hamara tha, yaha tak ki zindagi bhi hamari nahi thi, marne ki naubat aayi to shaher aa gaya" (Neither were the roads ours, nor the land, nor even the water - in fact, even our lives didn't belong to us. But when it came time to die, suddenly the city came running.)

Visual Edits

1. A scene of someone urinating on the protagonist is blurred.

2. Violence against a woman obscured with a black screen.

3. Blue-coloured dog in a surreal sequence removed.

Caste Slurs Censored

1. 'Chamar' muted

2. 'Bhangi' replaced with 'junglee'.

3. One abuse word removed

Content Replacements

1. Om Prakash Valmiki’s poem Thakur ka Kuan (on caste oppression) excised

2. Tulsidas’ couplet from Barvai Ramayan swapped for another verse.

Disclaimer

1. 20-second pre-film disclaimer extended to 1 minute 51 seconds.

Anurag Kashyap’s Warning on 'Dhadak 2' Censor Troubles

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap had foreshadowed Dhadak 2’s censorship woes in an April 2025 Instagram post critiquing the CBFC’s handling of the Phule biopic.

His Hindi post (translated below) accused the Board of denying casteism’s existence. "During Dhadak 2’s screening, the censor board claimed, ‘Modi ji has ended India’s caste system.’ On that basis, Santosh wasn’t released. Now Brahmins object to Phule. Brother, if casteism is dead, who is a ‘Brahmin’? Who are you? Why the outrage? If caste never existed, why did Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule fight it? Either Brahmanism is extinct - per Modi’s claim - or you’re all fooling us. Decide: does casteism exist or not? People aren’t fools. Are you the Brahmins, or your fathers in power? DECIDE!"

Notably, Pariyerum Perumal faced just four cuts during certification, while its Bollywood remake underwent far stricter edits. Dhadak 2’s release date remains unannounced post-clearance.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 24, 2025 02:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).