The Delhi High Court on Friday postponed the hearing of Salman Khan’s plea seeking to stop the release of the proposed film Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy. The Salman Khan Kala Hiran film dispute concerns a project reportedly inspired by the 1998 blackbuck poaching case and the actor’s alleged rivalry with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The Court listed the matter for July 1 and refused to grant interim relief at this stage.
Court Directs Supply of Complete Pleadings
The matter came before a vacation Bench of Justice Madhu Jain. The Court directed Salman Khan to provide the complete plaint and supporting documents to the filmmaker. Khan’s counsel had earlier served only the interim application. The Court then scheduled arguments for July 1.
Actor Alleges Unauthorised Use of Personality Rights
Advocate Nizam Pasha appeared for Salman Khan. He informed the Court that the filmmakers had released the trailer and promotional posters but had not announced the film’s release date.
The counsel argued that the film used Salman Khan’s life story without his permission and unlawfully exploited his personality rights. He submitted that the filmmakers lacked legal authority to portray or commercially use the actor’s identity. He therefore sought an interim order restraining the film’s release.
Filmmakers Seek Time, Cite Incomplete Service
The filmmakers opposed immediate relief and argued that they had not received all pleadings. Their counsel stated that they received only the interim application and not the complete plaint.
The respondents also informed the Court that they had received death threats related to the proposed film. They stated that they had already lodged an FIR regarding the threats.
After considering the submissions, the Court directed Salman Khan to supply the complete documents and fixed the hearing for July 1.
Request for Earlier Hearing Declined
After the order, Salman Khan’s counsel mentioned the matter again. He argued that the respondents had already received the complete documents and requested an earlier hearing date.
However, the Court rejected the request and observed that it had already listed the matter for hearing in July.
Plea Challenges Promotional Material
According to the suit, the promotional material contains clear references to Salman Khan. The actor alleged that a character closely resembles him and wears his signature blue bracelet, which the public strongly associates with him.
The plea also stated that a promotional poster shows the lookalike holding a rifle or gun. Salman Khan argued that the image could create a false impression about events linked to him. He emphasized that a court had acquitted him in the Arms Act proceedings and argued that the portrayal could mislead the public record.
The Salman Khan Kala Hiran film controversy raises questions about personality rights, artistic portrayal, and the limits of using a public figure’s identity for commercial purposes.
Representation Before the Court
Salman Khan was represented by Advocates Nizam Pasha, Siddharth Kaushik, Parag Khandar, Chandrima Mitra, Krishnan Kumar, Tapan Radkar, and Zara Dhanboora.
