Filmmaker Amit Jani Escalates ‘Kala Hiran’ Dispute to Supreme Court Over Salman Khan’s Personality Rights
New Delhi, India – The contentious legal battle surrounding the film ‘Kala Hiran – The Battle For Legacy’ has reached the Supreme Court, with producer Amit Jani challenging a Delhi High Court order that led to the removal of the film’s teaser and promotional content. Jani’s appeal comes weeks after the High Court’s directive, which sided with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in a dispute over alleged infringement of his personality rights.
The heart of the controversy lies in Khan’s assertion of his personality rights, with the Delhi High Court concluding that the promotional materials for Jani’s film appeared to exploit the actor’s identity in a manner that could potentially damage his public image. The High Court’s interim order had mandated the immediate removal of the ‘Kala Hiran’ teaser, reportedly based on Salman Khan, and all related promotional content from online platforms, following an objection raised by the actor.
Producer Amit Jani Speaks Out on Supreme Court Plea
In a statement to PTI, producer Amit Jani expressed his disagreement with the High Court’s decision, stating, "The Delhi High Court’s July 27 order directed the removal of the teaser and interviews. While respecting the court, we believe the decision was not just. We have therefore approached the Supreme Court and filed a petition seeking the restoration of our teaser and all the interviews that were removed."
Jani further emphasized the rights of a filmmaker to promote their work, asserting, "A filmmaker has the right to release a film’s teaser, trailer, posters and first look whenever they wish. Salman Khan does not appear anywhere in the teaser or the film. Lawrence Bishnoi also does not appear anywhere in the film, nor have we shown any alleged good or bad deeds of Salman Khan. Yet, the material was removed. We do not agree with the July 27 decision and have approached the Supreme Court seeking justice."
Delhi High Court’s July 27 Order and Its Implications
The Delhi High Court’s order, delivered by Justice Jyoti Singh on July 27, unequivocally stated that the makers of ‘Kala Hiran’ were prohibited from commercially exploiting the 59-year-old Bollywood icon’s name, mannerisms, and other distinctive traits without his explicit consent. The order also barred the circulation of any content that could potentially harm Khan’s reputation.
Justice Singh highlighted the exacerbated nature of such infringements in the digital age, noting that "using social media to spread content that infringes on personality rights or harms one’s image only worsens the issue, given how quickly, widely, and permanently digital content spreads."
Restraints on Promotion and Allegations of Defamation
The court specifically restrained the filmmakers from uploading, hosting, sharing, or promoting the teaser and related promotional content across social media, OTT platforms, television, and print media. It further mandated the removal of existing posts within 24 hours. In a significant move, the court also directed X, Meta, and Google to take down the offending URLs themselves if the makers failed to comply.
The High Court’s observations indicated that the teaser appeared to draw upon incidents and characters linked to the ongoing blackbuck poaching case, seemingly portraying Khan as intimidating witnesses and obstructing the investigation. The court concluded that such content could inflict "serious, irreparable damage" on Khan’s reputation.
Salman Khan’s Legal Team Alleges Misrepresentation and Conspiracy
Khan’s legal counsel presented arguments asserting that the teaser depicted a dramatized trial of a superstar accused of killing a blackbuck, featuring a character with a name closely resembling Khan’s, accompanied by evocative dialogue such as "this Dabangg." They further alleged that the promotional campaign associated the actor with the underworld and international terrorist groups, hinting at a broader conspiracy against the film.
Khan’s application to the High Court is an extension of a larger lawsuit aimed at safeguarding his personality rights. In this suit, he alleged that the filmmakers had commercially exploited his identity and distinct traits, including his signature bracelet and ear studs, without his consent. He also sought a stay on the film’s release, though the filmmakers countered that the movie had yet to be submitted to the censor board for certification.
Filmmakers Deny Violating Personality Rights
In their defense, the makers of ‘Kala Hiran’ denied any violation of Khan’s personality rights. They argued that Khan held no exclusive ownership over criminal cases, court proceedings, media reports, or historical events simply by virtue of his involvement in them. They also clarified that ‘Kala Hiran – The Battle For Legacy’ is not a biopic based on Salman Khan and maintained that personality rights cannot be utilized to suppress publicly known events associated with the blackbuck controversy.
Salman Khan Rejects Arguments, Cites Unauthorized Commercial Exploitation
Salman Khan, however, dismissed these arguments, clarifying that his concern was not about monopolizing the events or the discourse surrounding them. Instead, his objection centered on the unauthorized commercial exploitation of his identity and distinctive traits solely for the purpose of attracting audiences. This legal action follows an earlier interim order from the Delhi High Court on December 11, 2025, which ruled in Khan’s favor, protecting his name, image, likeness, and persona from unauthorized use on social media and e-commerce platforms.
The Supreme Court’s decision on Amit Jani’s appeal will undoubtedly set a significant precedent for personality rights in the Indian entertainment industry, balancing artistic freedom with the protection of public figures’ identities.
