New Delhi, 27 July (H.S.): The Delhi High Court has ordered a stay on the teaser release of the film ‘Kala Hiran – The Battle for Legacy’. A bench headed by Justice Jyoti Singh passed the order while hearing a petition filed by actor Salman Khan.

Salman Khan had approached the court seeking protection of his personality rights. During the hearing, his counsel Ravi Prakash sought a stay on the film and its trailer, arguing that the makers of the movie were commercially exploiting the actor’s personality and identity without his consent.

During the proceedings, the court asked the actor’s counsel to establish a direct connection between the film and Salman Khan. Referring to Salman Khan’s trademark bracelet, advocate Ravi Prakash said that the bracelet shown in the film was similar to the one worn by the actor. He also stated that the film’s producer had mentioned in seven interviews that the movie was based on Salman Khan.

The court observed that merely wearing a particular accessory, such as a bracelet or a turban, cannot automatically become a matter related to personality rights. The bench asked the counsel to establish a direct link between the film and Salman Khan. Ravi Prakash then referred to interviews given by the filmmaker and social media posts. However, the court said it would consider only the prayers mentioned in the petition. The court subsequently asked the filmmaker to show the video relied upon by Salman Khan’s counsel so that its authenticity could be verified.

In his petition, Salman Khan stated that the film is related to the 1998 blackbuck poaching case involving him and that its release would violate his personality rights. He alleged that the filmmaker had used his lookalike in the movie and shown the character wearing a bracelet similar to his. He further claimed that the makers were misusing his name during the film’s promotion.

The petition stated that the release of the film could also impact the ongoing legal proceedings related to the blackbuck poaching case and may adversely affect Salman Khan’s public image.

The petition further mentioned that Salman Khan had sent a legal notice to the film’s makers, seeking a halt to the promotion and release of the movie. The notice stated that the blackbuck poaching case is still pending before the Rajasthan High Court and that any sensationalisation of the matter could potentially affect the trial proceedings.

The first poster of the film ‘Kala Hiran’ was also released earlier. The movie reportedly features scenes related to the blackbuck poaching case and court proceedings connected with it. It also portrays the alleged rivalry between Salman Khan and gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

To avoid controversies, the filmmakers have reportedly named the character inspired by Salman Khan as Ayan Khan and the character inspired by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi as Lion Bishnoi. The film has been directed by Bharat S. Shrinet and produced by Amit Jani.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar