The All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has strongly condemned the safety violations that took place on the sets of Dhurandhar: The Revenge, the highly anticipated sequel to Aditya Dhar’s 2025 spy blockbuster. The organisation released an official press note signed by its President, Suresh Shyamlal Gupta, calling the conduct on set “alarming” and demanding accountability.

This condemnation follows swift action by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The civic body has blacklisted Aditya Dhar’s production company, B62 Studios, and two of its members — Komal Pokhriyal and Nasir Khan — from applying for shoot permissions in Mumbai. Additionally, the BMC proposed a monetary penalty of ₹1 lakh and the forfeiture of a ₹25,000 deposit submitted earlier.

Dhurandhar 2, starring Ranveer Singh, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, and Sara Arjun, is currently scheduled for a pan-India release on March 19, 2026.

What AICWA Said — And Why It Matters

The AICWA’s press note was direct. “The life, safety, and dignity of film industry workers, technicians, and labourers cannot be compromised under any circumstances,” Gupta wrote.

The statement did not limit itself to Dhurandhar 2. AICWA pointed out that production houses have been ignoring mandatory safety norms for years. Moreover, the organisation argued that weak enforcement has made things worse. “Unfortunately, timely and strict action is rarely taken, which emboldens negligent production houses to continue risking the lives of innocent workers,” the statement read.

The union also cited painful past incidents. It referred to tragedies at Goregaon Filmcity and other Mumbai studios, where workers died because of fires and unsafe working conditions. These incidents, AICWA wrote, are “painful reminders of the ongoing danger faced by film workers.”

Crucially, AICWA confirmed that it formally backs the BMC’s decision to blacklist B62 Studios. That kind of public support from a major industry union adds significant weight to the civic body’s action.

What Actually Happened on Set

The violations were not minor or technical. They were repeated, flagged, and ignored.

According to reports, the trouble began after a local resident filed a complaint. The complaint alleged that fire torches were used on set without permission. Authorities investigated and seized five fire torches from the location. This was significant because the production team had already received a verbal warning against using fire during the shoot.

Beyond the fire torches, officials found additional violations. Filming reportedly took place on a building terrace without approval. Two generator vans operated without the required clearances. Gas cylinders were used on set for cooking — directly against regulations. Furthermore, the production team changed the shooting location without obtaining fresh permission.

The BMC flagged all of these as “repeated violations.” The fact that warnings had already been issued and ignored is what led to the blacklisting decision.

BMC Takes Firm Action

The BMC’s response was decisive. The civic body blacklisted B62 Studios, Komal Pokhriyal, and Nasir Khan from the Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation Limited portal. Therefore, none of them can apply for shoot permissions in Mumbai going forward.

In addition to the blacklisting, the BMC proposed a ₹1 lakh monetary penalty. It also recommended forfeiting the ₹25,000 deposit that B62 Studios had previously submitted. The action came after the Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC) Zone I cleared the proposals.

At the time of publication, neither Aditya Dhar nor B62 Studios had issued any public response to these actions.

A City Where Hundreds of Shoots Happen Every Day

AICWA’s statement provides important context. In Mumbai alone, hundreds of film and television shoots take place every single day. The sheer volume of productions makes thorough enforcement extremely difficult. As a result, many production houses continue to cut corners.

“A majority of production houses fail to properly follow mandatory legal and safety requirements,” AICWA stated plainly. However, the organisation went further. It also revealed that it has already filed complaints with the Chief Minister’s office and the BMC. In those complaints, it demanded strict enforcement and strong legal action against violators.

The response, it says, has been inadequate. That inadequacy, AICWA argues, is directly responsible for the culture of impunity that currently exists.

Why This Story Is Bigger Than B62 Studios

It would be easy to treat the Dhurandhar 2 controversy as the story of one reckless production house. However, that reading misses the deeper issue entirely.

India’s film industry produces more content than almost any country on earth. Yet its safety framework for on-set workers has not kept pace with its scale or ambition. In contrast, countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States require productions to have qualified safety supervisors on set. Insurance companies in those markets often mandate safety compliance before issuing coverage. In India, that level of institutional oversight is largely absent for technicians, daily wage workers, and junior crew members.

Furthermore, the consequences of that gap are not abstract. Workers have died on Indian film sets because of fires. Others have suffered severe electric shocks. Collapsing or poorly constructed sets have caused serious injuries. AICWA has documented these cases repeatedly. Nevertheless, sustained industry-wide change has been slow to follow.

The Dhurandhar 2 case is therefore not just a story about one production house’s negligence. It is a test of whether regulators and unions can finally force a meaningful shift in how Bollywood treats the people who build its sets, operate its equipment, and make its blockbusters possible.

What Happens Next for the Film

For now, the March 19 release date for Dhurandhar: The Revenge remains intact. The blacklisting directly affects B62 Studios’ ability to shoot in Mumbai going forward. Therefore, if the production requires additional shoot days in the city — for reshoots, additional scenes, or promotional content — it will face serious obstacles.

The commercial stakes are enormous. The original Dhurandhar became a massive success after its December 2025 release. It clocked 7.6 million views on Netflix in its first weekend alone, outperforming comparable titles at a record pace. Consequently, the sequel arrives with sky-high expectations from both audiences and the studio.

Whether the controversy affects the film’s box office performance remains to be seen. What is already clear, however, is that the Dhurandhar 2 set safety scandal has given India’s film worker advocacy movement its most high-profile platform in years.

AICWA intends to use it.

This story will be updated as official statements from Aditya Dhar or B62 Studios are released. Dhurandhar: The Revenge is scheduled to release in cinemas on March 19, 2026.