The legal battle over the film Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy has reached the Supreme Court. Producer Amit Jani has challenged the Delhi High Court’s July 27 order that directed the removal of the film’s teaser and promotional material. The High Court had passed this order after Salman Khan filed a plea alleging violation of his personality rights. Jani argues that the order restricts artistic freedom and amounts to unfair censorship.
What Led to the Delhi High Court Order
The controversy started when the teaser for Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy was released on July 17, 2026. The teaser was circulated through press releases, promotional videos, social media posts, YouTube videos, podcasts, and other online platforms. Salman Khan then approached the Delhi High Court, claiming that the promotional material commercially exploited his identity without his consent.
Khan’s legal team argued that the two-minute teaser portrayed him through a fictional character named Ayan Khan. The teaser also included references to his films Dabangg and Sikandar, along with details connected to the pending blackbuck poaching case from 1998.
The plea described the teaser as a courtroom drama depicting the trial of a “superstar” accused of killing a blackbuck. It showed witness examinations, forensic conclusions, and threats made to witnesses. Khan’s team said this could damage his reputation and mislead the public.
The High Court’s Interim Order
On July 27, Justice Jyoti Singh passed an interim order directing the filmmakers to immediately remove the teaser and all related promotional content. The court ruled that the material prima facie violated Salman Khan’s personality rights and could cause irreparable harm to his reputation.
The High Court restrained the makers from uploading, hosting, sharing, or promoting the teaser across social media, OTT platforms, television, and print media. It also ordered the removal of existing posts within 24 hours. If the makers failed to comply, platforms like X, Meta, and Google were directed to take down the URLs themselves.
The court observed that the teaser drew on incidents linked to the blackbuck poaching case and seemingly showed the actor involved in intimidating witnesses. This, the court said, could inflict serious and irreparable damage on Khan’s reputation.
Why the Makers Moved the Supreme Court
Producer Amit Jani of Jani FireFox Films has now approached the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s decision. Jani said the filmmakers do not agree with the order and have filed a petition seeking restoration of the teaser and the interviews that were removed.
Jani argued that the High Court restrained the teaser without identifying the precise actionable use through which they allegedly appropriated or commercially exploited Salman Khan’s persona.
The appeal states:
“The present proceedings raise a question of far-reaching constitutional significance, for acceptance of the actor’s legally untenable proposition would effectively weaponise personality rights as a tool of private censorship, permitting every public personality to seek gag orders against legitimate artistic, journalistic or historical expression concerning events associated with them.”
The plea further argues that allowing the actor to suppress creative expression under the guise of personality rights would create a chilling effect on independent filmmaking, journalism, and artistic dramatisation of matters that are already in the public domain.
Filmmakers Deny Film Is About Salman Khan
Amit Jani has repeatedly denied that the film is based on Salman Khan or the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. He maintains that neither Salman Khan nor gangster Lawrence Bishnoi appears anywhere in the teaser or the film.
Speaking to PTI, Jani said:
“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. A filmmaker has the right to release a film’s teaser, trailer, posters and first look whenever they wish.”
Jani also said the filmmakers complied with the High Court’s order while challenging its decision before the apex court. He stressed that the order did not ban the film itself, only the teaser.
The Personality Rights Debate
Salman Khan’s legal team argued that the promotional campaign used elements closely associated with the actor without his consent. They pointed to the fictional character’s name, references to his films, and alleged similarities involving his appearance and distinctive traits.
The plea also claimed that the teaser associated Khan with witness intimidation, the underworld, and other damaging allegations.
The filmmakers, in their response, argued that Khan could not claim ownership over criminal cases, court proceedings, media reports, or historical events simply because he was involved in them. They maintained that Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy is not a biopic and argued that personality rights should not be used to remove publicly known events from artistic expression.
Jani also questioned the basis for what he described as “judicial censorship,” noting that films are subject to certification by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
“So the law is that when a film is made, the censor certificate is given to it by the CBFC. There is no provision for judicial censorship. But I don’t know why there is an order to remove the teaser. We have gone against that order.”
Threats Against the Filmmakers
Amit Jani also raised the issue of alleged threats against the filmmakers. He said the matter had been brought before the Supreme Court and authorities.
“We are receiving threats, so if we can’t even say that we are receiving threats, that would be the complete murder of democracy. We have told the Supreme Court exactly this.”
Jani claimed that he and his family have received violent death threats from organised criminal groups demanding that he abandon the film project.
Actor Sonu Mishra Left the Project
Amid the controversy, actor Sonu Mishra stepped away from Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy in June 2026. He said the film was designed to tarnish a senior actor’s image. His exit came as Salman Khan’s legal challenge against the project continued.
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What Happens Next
The Supreme Court will now hear the appeal filed by Amit Jani challenging the Delhi High Court’s interim order. The makers of Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy are seeking the restoration of the teaser and all related promotional material that was removed following the High Court’s directive.
Also Read: Salman Khan’s ‘Kala Hiran’ Legal Fight: Film Not Sent to Censor Board, Court Told
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