New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday deferred hearing on actor Salman Khan's plea seeking to restrain the filming, promotion and release of the proposed movie Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy, after counsel appearing for the filmmakers sought time to respond to the application.
The matter was heard by the vacation bench of Justice Madhu Jain.
Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for Khan, urged the Court to grant interim protection, contending that the filmmakers were attempting to commercially exploit the actor's life and persona without his 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. I am seeking an interim injunction. The teaser has already been released," Sethi submitted.
Counsel appearing for the filmmakers sought time to place their response on record, stating that he had received only a copy of the application on Wednesday.
Opposing the request, Sethi argued that the respondents had already been duly served and that an affidavit of service had been filed before the Court.
During the proceedings, counsel for the filmmakers informed the Court that he had allegedly been receiving death threats and had lodged an FIR regarding the same.
Sethi further submitted that promotional material connected with the film had already been released and argued that the respondents could not continue to use Khan's identity and public image without authorization.
The respondents opposed the grant of any interim relief.
After hearing the parties, the Court recorded that counsel for the producer and director had recently received the plaint and directed Khan's counsel to furnish the complete set of pleadings to the respondents during the course of the day. The matter has now been listed before the roster bench on July 1.
The dispute arises from Khan's application seeking to restrain the release and promotion of Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy, which he alleges infringes his personality and publicity rights and harms his reputation.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had issued notice on the application after being informed that the film's trailer had been released despite an earlier indication that it would be released on June 20.
According to Khan, the proposed film and its promotional material are based on events relating to the 1998 blackbuck hunting case. The actor contends that although his name is not expressly used, the posters, promotional content and public statements made by those associated with the project make him readily identifiable.
The plea refers to a poster released in May 2026 allegedly depicting a character resembling Khan and wearing a bracelet similar to the actor's signature blue bracelet. It further alleges that the character is shown holding a firearm despite Khan's acquittal in proceedings under the Arms Act, thereby creating a misleading impression.
Khan has also contended that portions of the film appear to draw upon matters that remain pending before higher courts and that dissemination of such content may prejudice ongoing proceedings and affect his right to a fair trial.
The application additionally relies upon interviews, social media posts and public statements allegedly made by producer Amit Jani linking the project to the blackbuck case and gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. According to Khan, such references are intended to generate publicity by exploiting his identity and public persona.
The respondents in the proceedings include producer Amit Jani, Jani FireFox Films, director Bharat Shrinate, Akshay Pandey and other persons associated with the project.
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