NEW DELHI: The Bengal Story Bureau: The Delhi High Court has deferred the hearing on actor Salman Khan’s plea seeking to halt the release of the proposed film Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy. The vacation bench declined to grant an immediate interim injunction, scheduling the next hearing for July 1 after the filmmakers requested additional time to file their formal response.
Allegations of Exploitation
Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Khan, urged the court for urgent relief, arguing that the filmmakers were unlawfully exploiting the actor’s life and public persona. Sethi stated that the teaser and promotional materials for the project had already been released without consent.
“He is producing a film on my life and tearing up the notice. He has no right to make a film of my life,” Sethi told the bench of Justice Madhu Jain.
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The petition claims the film draws direct inspiration from the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. While Khan is not explicitly named, the actor’s legal team argued that the promotional materials contain unmistakable references. The plea cited a poster showing a character wearing a blue bracelet identical to the one Khan has worn for years.
Makers Cite Death Threats
Opposing the plea for immediate restraint, counsel for the filmmakers informed the court that they had only received the urgent application, not the complete lawsuit, earlier in the week. The defence also submitted that they had been receiving death threats over the proposed project, leading them to register a First Information Report.
The court directed Khan’s legal team to serve the complete set of case documents to the respondents. The case names producer Amit Jani and director Bharat Shrinate among others associated with the project.
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The actor has also objected to the film portraying a character with a firearm, pointing out his acquittal under the Arms Act. Khan contended that referencing ongoing legal matters could prejudice higher court proceedings and impact his right to a fair trial. The roster bench will take up the matter for further hearing on July 1.
