The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has granted clearance to Dhadak 2 after recommending multiple changes aimed at toning down its portrayal of caste-based discrimination.

The film, a Hindi adaptation of the acclaimed 2018 Tamil anti-caste drama Pariyerum Perumal, stars Triptii Dimri and Siddhant Chaturvedi. It has been rated ‘U/A 16+’, indicating parental guidance is required for viewers under 16.

Originally slated for a November 2024 release, the film was postponed to March 2025, but missed that date as well.

According to The Hindu, Dhadak 2 faced a far more stringent review from the CBFC compared to the original Tamil version, which was released with just four cuts. In contrast, the Hindi remake underwent sixteen modifications.
Among the significant changes were the removal or alteration of dialogues referencing caste hierarchies and historical oppression.

One dialogue, originally stating, “3,000 years of backlog will not be cleared in just 70 years,” was modified to say, “The backlog of age-old discrimination will not be cleared in just 70 years.” Additionally, caste-based slurs like “chamar” and “bhangi” were either muted or replaced with less inflammatory terms such as “junglee.”

The CBFC also altered religious references. A line that previously read “Dharam ka kaam hai” (This is religious work) was modified to “Punya ka kaam hai” (This is work toward a good deed). Another dialogue believed to allude to an analogy used by Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram was also rephrased.

The certification process comes amid heightened sensitivity around caste representation in Indian cinema.

Earlier this year, the trailer of another caste-focused film, Phule, drew protests from Brahmin groups, prompting the CBFC to direct filmmakers to edit out references to caste names such as ‘Mahar’, ‘Mang’, ‘Peshvai’, and ‘Manu’s system of caste.’

With these changes in place, Dhadak 2 now moves closer to its long-delayed theatrical release, although a final release date has yet to be officially announced.