Filmmaker Amit Jani has approached the Supreme Court of India to challenge a Delhi High Court order that directed the removal of the teaser and promotional content for his upcoming film ‘Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy’.
The legal challenge follows a successful plea by Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who alleged that the promotional material infringed upon his personality and publicity rights.
The dispute stems from a July 27 interim order passed by Justice Jyoti Singh of the Delhi High Court. The court ruled that the filmmakers could not commercially exploit the name, mannerisms, or traits of Salman Khan without his explicit consent. The High Court directed the takedown of the film trailer, promotional posts, and related interviews from social media platforms, noting that the content caused irreparable harm to the reputation of the actor.
Salman Khan had previously argued that the teaser used a fictional character named Ayan Khan to portray him and included distinct references to his movies ‘Dabangg’ and ‘Sikandar’, alongside details from his 1998 blackbuck poaching case.
In his Special Leave Petition filed before the Supreme Court, Amit Jani argued that the High Court issued the restraint order without identifying the precise actionable use where the persona of the actor was appropriated. The appeal contends that weaponising personality rights in this manner functions as a tool of private censorship.
According to the filmmaker, allowing public figures to suppress creative expression produces an unprecedented chilling effect on independent filmmaking, journalism, and artistic dramatisation of matters inherently in the public domain.
Amit Jani stated that the production team has complied with the takedown directive while pursuing the matter in the apex court. He emphasised that ‘Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy’ has not been banned by the judiciary, as the order solely applies to the digital promotional assets and interviews. The producer also maintained that neither Salman Khan nor gangster Lawrence Bishnoi are featured directly as characters within the actual film or its teaser.
The filmmaker further raised security concerns within his petition, claiming that he and his family have received violent death threats from organised criminal groups demanding the termination of the project. He stated that these threats have been formally brought to the attention of the Supreme Court and relevant law enforcement authorities.
The upcoming apex court review will examine the boundaries between celebrity publicity rights and the constitutional freedom of artistic expression for independent creators.
