Kala Hiran Makers to Approach Supreme Court After Delhi HC's Teaser Takedown Order for Salman Khan
Digital desk
The legal battle over Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy is headed to India's top court, with the film's makers announcing plans to challenge a Delhi High Court order that went firmly in Salman Khan's favour.
The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the makers to pull the film's teaser and related promotional material from every online platform within 24 hours, ruling on an application in Khan's ongoing personality rights suit. Justice Jyoti Singh said a person's reputation is "built with great effort, and once lost, is lost forever," warning that platforms including X, YouTube, Meta and Google would be ordered to execute the takedown themselves if the makers failed to comply in time. The court was notably critical of producer Amit Jani's conduct during proceedings, with Justice Singh remarking that he seemed to think he was "above the law" and was "only getting worse day by day."
Khan's case centres on his contention that the teaser and posters make him instantly identifiable without ever naming him — featuring a lookalike wearing his signature Firoza bracelet, holding a rifle, and drawing directly on his 1998 blackbuck poaching case. His legal team argued the film falsely implies underworld links and could prejudice ongoing proceedings, since aspects of the original blackbuck case remain pending before the Rajasthan High Court and Supreme Court. Counsel for Khan told the court there was "nothing left to the imagination" in the teaser, arguing it was "completely about" the actor, and pointed out he had already been acquitted in three of the four original criminal cases tied to the incident.
Responding to the order, the filmmakers said they respected the court process but believed the underlying legal question — over how far personality rights can restrict a film inspired by real events — deserved to be tested at the highest level. In a statement, the production side said they had decided to approach the Supreme Court to seek appropriate legal remedies, adding they had complete faith in the Indian judiciary to deliver justice in line with the Constitution and the law.
Monday's ruling built on an earlier December 2025 order in the same suit, in which Khan sought a permanent injunction protecting his personality and publicity rights, citing unauthorised use of his name, photographs, film stills and likeness — including AI-generated content — without his consent. That order had already directed platforms to treat Khan's complaints under India's IT Rules and act against unauthorised use of his image and voice.
With the makers now preparing a Supreme Court challenge, the case is shaping up as a significant test of how India's courts balance a filmmaker's creative latitude against a public figure's personality rights — particularly where a film draws heavily on a living person's real, contested legal history without naming them directly.
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Kala Hiran Makers to Approach Supreme Court After Delhi HC's Teaser Takedown Order for Salman Khan
Digital desk
The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the makers to pull the film's teaser and related promotional material from every online platform within 24 hours, ruling on an application in Khan's ongoing personality rights suit. Justice Jyoti Singh said a person's reputation is "built with great effort, and once lost, is lost forever," warning that platforms including X, YouTube, Meta and Google would be ordered to execute the takedown themselves if the makers failed to comply in time. The court was notably critical of producer Amit Jani's conduct during proceedings, with Justice Singh remarking that he seemed to think he was "above the law" and was "only getting worse day by day."
Khan's case centres on his contention that the teaser and posters make him instantly identifiable without ever naming him — featuring a lookalike wearing his signature Firoza bracelet, holding a rifle, and drawing directly on his 1998 blackbuck poaching case. His legal team argued the film falsely implies underworld links and could prejudice ongoing proceedings, since aspects of the original blackbuck case remain pending before the Rajasthan High Court and Supreme Court. Counsel for Khan told the court there was "nothing left to the imagination" in the teaser, arguing it was "completely about" the actor, and pointed out he had already been acquitted in three of the four original criminal cases tied to the incident.
Responding to the order, the filmmakers said they respected the court process but believed the underlying legal question — over how far personality rights can restrict a film inspired by real events — deserved to be tested at the highest level. In a statement, the production side said they had decided to approach the Supreme Court to seek appropriate legal remedies, adding they had complete faith in the Indian judiciary to deliver justice in line with the Constitution and the law.
Monday's ruling built on an earlier December 2025 order in the same suit, in which Khan sought a permanent injunction protecting his personality and publicity rights, citing unauthorised use of his name, photographs, film stills and likeness — including AI-generated content — without his consent. That order had already directed platforms to treat Khan's complaints under India's IT Rules and act against unauthorised use of his image and voice.
With the makers now preparing a Supreme Court challenge, the case is shaping up as a significant test of how India's courts balance a filmmaker's creative latitude against a public figure's personality rights — particularly where a film draws heavily on a living person's real, contested legal history without naming them directly.
