Salman Khan gets relief in ‘Kala Hiran’ case:Delhi court orders to be removed within 24 hours; producer reprimands

The Delhi High Court has ordered the removal of the teaser for the upcoming film Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy from social media platforms. The court said that if the producer fails to take down the teaser links within 24 hours, platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube will be directed to remove the content. The order came after actor Salman Khan approached the court seeking protection of his personality rights and his right to a fair trial. Khan argued that the teaser falsely links him to the underworld, damaging his reputation and prejudicing ongoing legal proceedings. Court criticises producer’s conduct During the hearing, Justice Jyoti Singh strongly criticised the conduct of the film’s producer, Amit Jani. Observing that the producer appeared to be disregarding the law, the court said his actions suggested that he believed he was above legal accountability. The judge stressed that no individual is above the law and noted that even an ordinary citizen cannot be subjected to such treatment. The court further observed that a person’s reputation takes years to build but can be damaged in an instant, and restoring it is often extremely difficult. Salman’s legal team: Teaser deliberately references the actor Representing Salman Khan, his legal team argued that the teaser, released on May 29, deliberately creates the impression that the film is based on the actor and the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. They told the court that the character shown in the teaser bears a close resemblance to Salman Khan and is also seen wearing his signature bracelet, making the reference unmistakable. The actor’s lawyers further submitted that a legal notice had earlier been served on producer Amit Jani, asking him to refrain from using Salman’s identity. However, they alleged that Jani publicly tore up the notice during an interview instead of responding through legal channels. They also noted that the producer later claimed he had been receiving threats online following the controversy. Producer says teaser does not identify Salman Khan Responding to the allegations, counsel for producer Amit Jani argued that the film does not mention Salman Khan by name at any point. The lawyer also told the court that the teaser does not use artificial intelligence or deepfake technology to depict the actor. According to the producer’s side, the clip is only a teaser, and creating a film inspired by events that are already in the public domain does not infringe upon an individual’s personality rights. The court, however, was not convinced. It observed that releasing such material while related legal proceedings are still pending could interfere with the administration of justice and raise serious legal concerns. 1998 blackbuck case at the centre of the dispute The controversy stems from the 1998 blackbuck poaching case registered against Salman Khan during the shooting of Hum Saath-Saath Hain in Rajasthan. Salman Khan’s legal team informed the court that the actor has already been acquitted in three of the four cases arising from the incident. They added that an appeal against his conviction in the remaining case is still pending before the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court. The lawyers argued that portraying the matter in the film while judicial proceedings are ongoing could prejudice the case, influence public opinion, and undermine Salman Khan’s right to a fair trial. They also contended that the film has the potential to inflame sentiments within a community, further complicating the pending legal proceedings.