After the success of dhadak (2018), starring Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter, the makers are back with Dhadak 2. This time, the film features Triptii Dimri and Siddhant Chaturvedi in lead roles. Dhadak 2 tackles the sensitive issue of caste discrimination and includes depictions of caste-based violence and slurs.
Months ahead of its release, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reviewed the film and issued a U/A certificate with 16 significant cuts.
One of the key changes includes the alteration of the dialogue “3,000 years of backlog will not be cleared in just 70 years,” which has been modified to “The backlog of age-old discrimination will not be cleared in just 70 years.”
Caste Slurs Such as “Chamar” and “Bhangi” have reportedly been mute and replaced with the word “junglee.” Another line, “Dharam ka kaam hai,” was revised to “punya ka kaam hai.”
A dialogue referenceing bahujan samaj party founder kanshi ram, “Nilesh ye kalam dekh rahe ho … raaj kar rahe hain” (Nilesh, look at this peen …
“Yeh Chota Sa Dhakkan Puri Qalam Ka Thoda Sa Hissa Hai, Aur Baaki Ke Hain Hum, Phir Bhi Hamare Sir Pe Baithe Hue Hain. Kyun?” (“The cap of the pen is such a small part of it, yet it’s sitting on top of all of us. Why?”)
Another Dialogue, “Savarnon Ke Sadak … Humein Jala Dete The” (The Savarnas’ Streets … they would burn us alive) – have been replaced with a broader reflection, “Na sadke hamari a boradar, na zamen hamari, na zameen hai, na zameen hai, na Paani Hamara Tha, Yahan Tak Ki Zindagi Bhi Hamari Nahi Thi. (“Neither was the streets Ors, Nor the land, Nor the water, Nor even life itself. When death was near, I came to the city.”
In addition to changes in dialogue, the CBFC has asked the filmmakers to censor the recitation of the poem Thakur Ka Kuan by Munshi Premchand. A doha by Saint Tulsidas, included in a song, has also been replaced.
The standard 20-second disclaimer has been replaced with a longer version lasting 1 minute and 51 seconds. The CBFC also instructed that this updated disclaimer must be read aloud during the film.
Several scenes have also been altered for sensitivity. A violent scene involving a woman has been replaced with a black screen, a swear word has been muted, a scene depicting someone urinating on the Dalit character Nilesh (played by Siddhant Chaturvedi) has been censored, and another scene showing the humiliation of Nilesh’s father has been trimmed.
About Dhadak 2
As per reports, Dhadak 2 has a runtime of approximately 146 minutes (2 hours and 26 minutes).
Directed by Shazia Iqbal, Dhadak 2 delves into the deep-rooted barriers of class, caste, and social status that are ingrained in society.
Speaking about the film at an earlier event, Siddhant shared, “We have made a really strong and rooted film. Usually, I’ve been approached for urban roles, but I come from Ballia, a small town in UP, and this is my first time exploring such a genre.”
Dhadak 2 is an official remake of the critically acclaimed Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal (2018). Although initially slated for a November 2024 release, the film was delayed. It is jointly produced by Zee Studios, Dharma Productions.
