Delhi High Court Grants Salman Khan Major Relief, Orders Removal of “Kala Hiran” Teaser

Mumbai, July 28 — The Delhi High Court has granted Bollywood actor Salman Khan significant interim relief, directing the producers of the film “Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy” to remove the film’s teaser and all related promotional material from social media platforms within 24 hours. The court made clear that if the filmmakers fail to comply with the order, relevant platforms including X and YouTube will be directed to take down the content.
In his petition, Salman Khan argued that the film appears to be based on the 1998 blackbuck poaching case, and that although he is not named directly, the teaser uses a character resembling him along with symbols associated with his identity in an attempt to damage his reputation.
During the hearing, Justice Jyoti Singh remarked that a person’s reputation takes years of effort to build but can be damaged in no time. The court noted that even if such content remains publicly available for a few hours, it could cause harm to the person concerned.
The film’s producers have maintained that it is not a biopic of Salman Khan, but rather a separate story inspired by events on public record. However, according to a Bar and Bench report, Justice Singh posed sharp questions to the filmmakers during the hearing and expressed strong displeasure over the nature of the promotional material, stating: “What kind of content is this? It seems you were emboldened by the fact that the court did not pass any order last time. Your client thinks he is above the law. As long as this content remains in the public domain, every moment it damages the plaintiff’s reputation. I was lenient with you before, but you are not one to mend your ways.”
What is “Kala Hiran” about?
According to reports, the film’s story is inspired by the 1998 blackbuck poaching case, the Bishnoi community’s long struggle for wildlife conservation, and the dispute linking Salman Khan and gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The film became embroiled in controversy when its first-look teaser was released on June 12, carrying the line: “In the name of Guru Jambheshwar Bhagwan and the Bishnoi community.”
In the teaser, actor Kashif Iqbal Khan played a character allegedly resembling Salman Khan, while veteran actor Govind Namdev appeared as a lawyer fighting for justice on behalf of the Bishnoi community. The controversy deepened last month when Govind Namdev publicly distanced himself from the film, claiming he had been kept in the dark about its true subject matter. He said: “The moment I saw the trailer, I was shocked. I immediately realized this wasn’t the film I had shot for. We were never told that a character resembling Salman Khan would be portrayed this way. Watching the trailer, I felt I had been kept in the dark and used. What I was told and what was actually made are worlds apart.”