Filmmaker Aditya Dhar on Thursday dismissed as “completely untrue” reports based on circulating images that purportedly show Ranveer Singh’s character smoking while wearing a turban.

Dhar said the visuals were fabricated and intended to create mischief. He also warned that any such manipulation of images would be “dealt with firmly”.

The clarification comes amid the strong box office performance of his latest film Dhurandhar: The Revenge, the second instalment in his espionage saga, which the director said has received overwhelming appreciation from audiences in India and overseas.

“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,” Dhar said in a statement.

The statement follows a police complaint filed against the film’s makers and Singh over the viral image. Dhar said he wanted to state this “unequivocally” that he holds the highest respect for the Sikh community.

“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,” he said.

The controversy was further fuelled after a Mumbai-based Sikh organisation objected to the alleged visuals, including a scene where R Madhavan’s character is seen reciting verses from the Guru Granth Sahib while smoking.

Madhavan had issued a clarification on Wednesday, stating that Dhar ensured sensitivity during filming and that his character extinguishes the cigarette before delivering the lines.

Released on March 19, Dhurandhar: The Revenge has crossed the Rs 900-crore mark at the global box office, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.

Headlined by Singh, the film is a sequel to Dhar’s 2025 hit Dhurandhar, which grossed over Rs 1,300 crore worldwide. The sequel traces the rise of Singh’s character Hamza Ali Mazari in Karachi’s underworld, while also exploring his origins as Jaskirat Singh Rangi and his transformation into a covert operative.