A fresh diplomatic and political row has erupted after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) spokesperson Sumeta Afzal Syed accused Ranveer Singh’s new spy-thriller Dhurandhar of illegally using photographs of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and distorting the party’s position on terrorism.

Taking to X, Syed criticised the filmmakers, alleging that the movie resorted to “unauthorised and disrespectful” use of Bhutto’s images while attempting to depict the PPP as soft on extremist groups. She wrote that the film “disgracefully attempted to portray the PPP as sympathetic to terrorists,” urging Pakistani authorities to examine what she described as a deliberate misrepresentation of a leader who remains a global symbol of democratic resistance.

Syed emphasised that the PPP has historically been a target of extremist violence and has consistently been at the forefront of Pakistan’s fight against radicalism. “The PPP has been a frontline victim of terrorism and has always stood and will always stand as the strongest force against extremism,” she added, intensifying the cross-border political reactions to the film.

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal and R. Madhavan in a high-tension narrative that follows an undercover Indian operative navigating Pakistan’s terror network. Set against backdrops such as the IC-814 hijacking and the 2001 Parliament attack, the film initially opened to mixed reviews but has steadily gained traction at the box office.

This is the third major controversy surrounding the film. Earlier, the family of late Army officer Major Mohit Sharma approached the Delhi High Court accusing the makers of appropriating elements of his life story without permission. Although the court did not halt the film’s release, it asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to review the matter. The CBFC eventually cleared the movie as a fictional narrative.