The Delhi High Court has postponed the hearing on actor Salman Khan’s request to stop the filming, promotion, and release of the upcoming movie Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy. The decision was made after the filmmakers needed more time to respond to Khan’s application. The case will be heard again on July 1 by the designated bench of Justice Madhu Jain.
Salman Khan’s legal team claims that the film and its promotional materials refer to incidents from his life, which they believe infringes on his personality rights. During the session, Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Khan, argued for immediate protection against the film’s release, pointing out that promotional teasers have already been issued.
Khan’s lawyers assert that they never gave permission for the filmmakers to base a project on events connected to his life. However, the filmmakers’ lawyers requested more time, stating they recently received a copy of Khan’s application.
The heart of Khan’s complaint is that Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy appears to draw inspiration from the 1998 blackbuck hunting case without specifically naming him. According to Khan, the promo materials released so far include visuals that the public could link back to him, such as a character in the film resembling him and wearing a bracelet that he is known for.
Moreover, Khan has raised concerns about images in the promotional content that show a character with a firearm, suggesting that such portrayals could mislead the public, especially since he was acquitted in past Arms Act cases.
His legal team also emphasizes that parts of the film seem to touch on ongoing legal matters, arguing that showing this content could sway public opinion and impact current court cases. During the hearing, Sethi stressed that the filmmakers should not exploit Khan’s identity without his consent.
On the other hand, the filmmakers opposed the request for interim relief. One of their lawyers indicated that he had received threats related to the matter and had reported it to the police.
Following discussions from both sides, the court highlighted that the filmmakers had only just received the complete paperwork. It instructed Khan’s legal team to ensure that all documents were shared with the filmmakers that day. Involved in the case are producer Amit Jani, Jani FireFox Films, director Bharat Shrinate, Akshay Pandey, and others related to the project.
