Delhi High Court Postpones Hearing on Salman Khan's Plea Against 'Kala Hiran'
The Delhi High Court has deferred the hearing on a plea by Salman Khan to restrain the release of the film 'Kala Hiran', which the actor alleges infringes on his personality and publicity rights. The case is set for further review on July 1.
Highlights
- •The Delhi High Court deferred a hearing on Salman Khan's plea to block the film 'Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy'.
- •Salman Khan alleges the project infringes on his personality rights by depicting a character clearly resembling him.
- •The legal challenge involves producer Amit Jani and director Bharat Shrinate over unauthorized use of the actor's persona.
- •The matter is now listed for July 1 before the roster bench, with the court requiring all pleadings to be shared.
The Delhi High Court has formally deferred the hearing regarding a legal plea filed by actor Salman Khan. The application seeks to prevent the filming, promotional activities, and eventual public release of a movie titled Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy. The proceedings were overseen by a vacation bench led by Justice Madhu Jain.
Legal Battle Over Salman Khan's Publicity Rights
Representing the actor, Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi urgently requested interim protection from the court. The legal team argued that the filmmakers are attempting to capitalize commercially on Salman Khan's personal life and public persona without obtaining his necessary authorization. During the submissions, it was highlighted that a teaser for the project has already been made public, intensifying the call for an immediate injunction.
The filmmakers' counsel requested additional time to formally respond to the plea, noting that they had only recently received a copy of the application. Despite this, Sandeep Sethi insisted that the respondents were already duly served, with an affidavit of service successfully filed before the court. Notably, during the session, the counsel for the filmmakers informed the court that he had received death threats and had subsequently filed an FIR regarding these security concerns.
The dispute centers on allegations that the film Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy violates Salman Khan's personality and publicity rights. While the filmmakers do not explicitly use the actor's name, the plea asserts that promotional materials—including posters and public statements—make the character unmistakably identifiable as Salman Khan. Specifically, a poster released in May 2026 features a character wearing a bracelet strikingly similar to the actor's iconic blue accessory, while also depicting the character wielding a firearm. This imagery, the plea suggests, creates a misleading impression given the actor's acquittal in previous legal proceedings under the Arms Act.
Furthermore, the petition claims that the project intentionally references the 1998 blackbuck hunting incident and links the narrative to public figures such as Lawrence Bishnoi. Salman Khan argues that such promotional tactics are designed to generate controversy and commercial gain by exploiting his identity. The legal challenge targets producer Amit Jani, Jani FireFox Films, director Bharat Shrinate, and other associates. Justice Madhu Jain has ordered Salman Khan's legal team to provide the full set of pleadings to the respondents, and the matter is now scheduled for a follow-up hearing before the roster bench on July 1.
