Dharma Productions has dropped the trailer for Dhadak 2, starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Tripti Dimri. The film serves as a sequel to the 2018 film Dhadak, which itself was a Hindi adaptation of the Marathi film Sairat. Dhadak 2 draws inspiration from the 2018 Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal, promising an intense and socially charged narrative. The film focuses on inter-caste romance, a theme that often triggers violent backlash in real life.
Dhadak 2 follows two college students, Neelesh and Vidisha, who are deeply in love. Neelesh, a law student, belongs to a marginalised community—likely from a Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, or minority background—while Vidisha comes from an upper caste. Though their bond begins with warmth and hope, caste dynamics soon surface, straining their relationship and leading to tragedy. The film offers a stark reflection on the caste system that continues to shape lives in India, reminding us that beneath the veneer of progress, many still endure its harsh realities.
The film is directed by Shazia Iqbal, known for her acclaimed short film Bebaak, a story that confronts the intersection of patriarchy and religious orthodoxy in contemporary India. Dhadak 2 is produced by Karan Johar, Umesh Kumar Bansal, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, Meenu Aroraa, Somen Mishra, and Pragati Deshmukh, with Marijke DeSouza serving as the co-producer. The visual effects in are crafted by the award-winning VFX studio philmCGI.
The film’s star cast includes Chaturvedi (Gehraiyaan, Gully Boy), Dimri (Bulbbul, Animal), Deeksha Joshi (Sharato Lagu, Fakt Mahilao Maate), Vipin Sharma (Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana), Saurabh Sachdeva (Vadh, Jaane Jaan), Manjiri Pupala (Betaal, Dahaad), Dishank Arora (Rajaa Betaa, Jiji Maa), Harish Khanna (Stolen, Barah by Barah) and Priyank Tiwari (Murder Mubarak, Tumse Na Ho Payega).
Dhadak 2 arrives at a time when India’s caste system—though constitutionally abolished in its most overt forms—continues to shape lived realities in deeply entrenched ways. The film offers a poignant lens into caste-based discrimination through the love story of Neelesh and Vidisha. But it’s just one thread in a much larger tapestry of systemic injustice.
The film reportedly underwent 16 significant edits before receiving clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Scenes depicting caste-based slurs, humiliation, and violence, including a urination sequence and references to terms like “chamar” and “bhangi” were either muted, modified, or replaced. Dialogues with political undertones were softened, and a poem by the Dalit writer Om Prakash Valmiki was reportedly substituted with a less provocative alternative. The film now carries a U/A 16+ rating, and its disclaimer was extended to nearly two minutes to clarify the filmmakers’ intent and contextualise the sensitive content.
The film is set for a global theatrical release on 1 August 2025. While it may not capture the full spectrum of caste-based injustice, it dares to speak where silence has long prevailed. In a society where conversations around caste are often muted or deflected, the film’s very existence marks a step toward acknowledgment—and that, in itself, is a beginning.
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