The Delhi High Court on Monday ordered the teaser of the film “Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy” to be taken down. The Bollywood actor Salman Khan had filed a defamation case against the teaser and poster of the film, alleging that it portrays him in a bad light.
Produced by Amit Jani, “Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy” is a crime-drama film allegedly centred around the 1998 Blackbuck poaching case. Starring Kashif Iqbal Khan in the main role, the film is rumoured to be heavily inspired by the wildlife case involving Salman Khan that took place during the shoot of Hum Saath Saath Hain in Rajasthan.
Following the release of the teaser on July 17, Khan moved the Delhi HC seeking an interim injunction against the promotion of the film. The actor alleged that his portrayal in the film links him to the underworld. He also submitted media reports and press releases that he alleges confirm that the film contains direct reference to the blackbuck poaching case.
As the court proceedings for the blackbuck hunting case are still ongoing, the actor added that it also violates his right to a fair trial in court.
"Do I not have a right to have a fair trial? The whole community is being pitted against me," he argued.
The actor alleged that the poster of the film infringes his personality rights. He said that the character in the poster bears a close resemblance to him and wears his signature bracelet.
Khan highlighted that he had sent over a legal notice to the filmmakers. However, he alleged that producer Jani tore up this legal notice in an online interview and posted on X that he was blackmailed by the actor and his team.
The counsel for Jani contended that the teaser does not take Khan’s name and that there is no explicit rule that protects the portrayal of public events.
Justice Jyoti Singh said that if the producer failed to remove the teaser, platforms such as X and YouTube will be instructed to take down the content.
“Every minute it is on public domain, it is harming the reputation of the plaintiff (Khan) here. I was mild with you, but you are incorrigible ... You can’t do this even to a common man. It cannot get worse than this even for a common man,” she said.
The Court has asked Khan’s counsel to provide them with the list of alleged links that infringe his rights, so that they can be removed.
