The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to actor Salman Khan regarding an application by the producers of the film “Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legal,” who are seeking to pause the actor’s lawsuit against the movie’s release on grounds of duplicate litigation.
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani sought Khan’s response to the plea filed by film producer Amit Jani. The application contends that the actor’s current suit constitutes parallel litigation, arguing that substantially identical issues regarding the film, its promotional material, and the alleged violation of Khan’s personality rights are already under consideration in an earlier lawsuit before the high court.
Claims of Overlapping Litigation
According to the producer’s petition, Khan had previously initiated legal proceedings to protect his personality rights, securing an ex-parte ad-interim injunction on December 11, 2025. Following that order, the 59-year-old actor moved a separate application within the same proceedings specifically seeking an interim injunction against the film, a request that remains pending.
The filmmakers submitted that the latest lawsuit seeks the same core remedy already being pursued—namely, an injunction restraining the release, screening, and promotional dissemination of the movie and its teasers.
Prior Restraint and Digital Distribution
The proceedings follow an interim ruling issued on July 27 by a coordinate bench of the high court, which ordered the removal of a teaser and related online posts after objections were raised by the actor. In that decision, the bench held that the film’s creators could not commercially exploit Khan’s name, mannerisms, or distinctive characteristics without authorization, nor could they distribute material injurious to his reputation. The court noted at the time that distributing content that harms reputation or infringes personality rights across social media magnifies the damage due to the speed, wide reach, and permanent nature of digital posts.
Khan had previously approached the high court to prevent social media platforms and e-commerce portals from unauthorized commercial use of his name, likeness, and persona. In his application regarding the film, the actor alleged that the filmmakers were purposefully attempting to sensationalize the blackbuck poaching case to generate headlines and draw public attention at the expense of his professional goodwill.
Filmmakers’ Defense on Subject Matter
In response, the filmmakers have argued that the project is not a biographical account of Khan and maintained that personality rights cannot be used to suppress public information regarding the blackbuck controversy. The producers also informed the court that the film is not currently in a position to be released, as it has neither obtained certification from the censor board nor released an official trailer.
