5 min readNew DelhiJul 27, 2026 05:15 PM IST
Actor Salman Khan received relief from the Delhi High Court on Monday, as the court ordered the removal of the teaser and promotional material of the upcoming film Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy from social media. The actor’s plea had said that the film, allegedly based on the 1998 Black Buck poaching case, has been made to defame him.
HC gives relief to Salman Khan
Justice Jyoti Singh directed that if the producer failed to remove the teaser, platforms including X and YouTube would be ordered to take it down. According to the Bar and Bench, the court took a stand against the film, and asked the makers, “What kind of contents are these? You seem to get emboldened by the fact that no order was passed last time. Your client thinks he is above the law. He is getting worse day by day … Every minute it is on public domain it is harming the reputation of the plaintiff (Salman Khan) here. I was mild with you but your are incorrigible … You can’t do this even to a common man. It cannot get worse than this even for a common man.”
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After watching the teaser in court, Jyoti Singh remarked, “This must stop. Reputation is built with great effort; once it’s lost, it’s lost. Even if this is played for 24 hours, someone suffers.”
What is the Kala Hiran controversy?
The film Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy is allegedly inspired by the 1998 blackbuck poaching case, the Bishnoi community’s wildlife protection vows, and the row involving actor Salman Khan and the gangster. The controversy started after the makers revealed the film’s first look video on June 12, with the text, ‘Dedicated to Guru Jambheshwar Bhagwan and the Bishnoi community.’ The teaser featured actor Kashif Iqbal Khan playing a character resembling Salman Khan, while veteran actor Govind Namdev essayed the role of an advocate seeking justice on behalf of the Bishnoi community.
During an interview last month, Namdev claimed that he was unaware of Kala Hiran’s real narrative and had been kept in the dark. “As soon as I watched the trailer, I was shaken to the core. I instantly understood that the project is completely different from what I had shot for. We were never told that a character resembling Salman Khan would be created and portrayed in this manner. The moment I saw the trailer, I felt I had been kept in the dark and used. There is a world of difference between what I was told and what has actually been made,” he told Amar Ujala.
He further added, “I was told we were making a film called Sambhal. At that time, I had absolutely no idea that the story would later take a completely different direction. I was informed that there was a long courtroom sequence and that was all I had to do. It was also mentioned that nothing new was being added from our side and that we were merely presenting what had happened in court. I felt there was nothing wrong in depicting facts already on record, which is why I agreed to be part of it.”
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Before Govind Namdev, another former co-star of Salman Khan denied linking himself with Kala Hiran, even walking out of the movie after filming for two days. Actor Sonu Mmishra, who starred with Salman in his 2025 film Sikandar, was earlier offered the lead role in Kala Hiran, but he decided to distance himself from the film.
On the YouTube channel Bollywood Crazies, he said, “I was very excited for Kala Hiran. I got the opportunity to play superstar Salman Khan. I had started shooting as well. But when a narrative starts getting built, you realize what the intent of the film is. Being a vocational actor for the past 15-16 years, I wouldn’t like to be a part of such a film. No doubt they have a perspective, but if you depict superstar Salman Khan in a negative way, then I’d rather do other projects.”
The actor continued, “After two days of shoot, I asked them for the script. Being a lead actor, I asked them to share the script and clauses of the agreement. The makers also realized that they can’t control me. After a lot of delay, they showed me the contract, which stated that I had to talk against Salman to the media as well. So, these things are against my ethics.”
Why Salman Khan filed a plea
Salman Khan claimed in his plea that the film Kala Hiran’s teaser, poster and other promotional content unmistakably identify the actor, without naming him directly. The case stated that the video even showed a lookalike of Khan wearing his signature blue bracelet. He alleged that the upcoming film is based on the 1998 blackbuck poaching case and is aimed to exploit his reputation.
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Moreover, Salman’s plea claimed that the film’s producer Amit has explicitly linked the film with gangster Bishnoi in interviews and social media posts, to generate more publicity for the film. The actor also argued that Kala Hiran violates his right to a fair trial because the case is sub judice.
