Delhi High Court orders removal of Kala Hiran teaser linked to Salman Khan; says, ‘Reputation once lost is lost’

New day, new legal notice, and a new controversy. More than new film announcements, Bollywood seems to be making headlines for legal battles these days. Salman Khan isn’t just making bold and quirky statements on Instagram over the NEET paper leak and taking a stand in his own way; he is also fighting legal battles in court.

A Bollywood film titled Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy, said to be inspired by Salman Khan’s 1998 blackbuck poaching case, landed in legal trouble soon after its poster was released. The actor moved the Delhi High Court against the makers, claiming the film infringes upon his personality rights. The matter came up while the court was hearing Salman Khan’s application opposing the film’s release.

In a major relief to the actor, the Delhi High Court directed the removal of the teaser and several online links related to Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy. The court observed that the film’s promotional material prima facie linked Salman Khan to the 1998 blackbuck poaching case and could adversely affect his reputation.

Justice Jyoti Singh also said she would direct the removal of interviews given by the film’s producer, Amit Jani.

Disagreeing with the producer’s submissions, the court orally observed that it would pass an order with strong observations.

“This must stop,” the court remarked during the hearing.

Emphasising the importance of protecting an individual’s reputation, the court further observed, “Reputation once lost is lost…” before adding, “You are linking him with LB. I don’t want to name him.”

According to Salman Khan’s application, the proposed film unlawfully exploits his personality rights and falsely portrays events allegedly associated with him.

The actor argued that the promotional material contains unmistakable references to him. The plea specifically points to the depiction of a lookalike wearing his iconic blue bracelet, which, according to Khan, has become uniquely associated with him in the minds of the public.

The application opposing the release of Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy has been filed as part of Salman Khan’s ongoing suit seeking protection of his personality rights.

The Delhi High Court is expected to pass a detailed order in the matter.

While his name is not explicitly mentioned, Salman Khan has argued that the posters, promotional content and public statements associated with the project make him readily identifiable.

The plea also refers to a poster released in May 2026 that allegedly depicts a character resembling Salman Khan wearing a bracelet similar to his signature blue bracelet.

It further claims that the character is shown holding a firearm despite Khan’s acquittal in the Arms Act case, thereby creating a misleading impression.

Salman Khan has also contended that parts of the film appear to draw upon issues that are still pending before higher courts and that the release of such content could prejudice ongoing proceedings and affect his right to a fair trial.

According to Khan, these references were made to generate publicity by exploiting his identity and public persona.

The respondents in the case include producer Amit Jani, Jani FireFox Films, director Bharat Shrinate, Akshay Pandey and other individuals associated with the project.