Salman Khan Gets Delhi HC Notice on ‘Kala Hiran’ Makers’ Stay Plea

Salman Khan’s legal fight over the upcoming film “Kala Hiran” has taken a new turn. The Delhi High Court on Tuesday, Oct. 6, issued notice to the actor and sought his response to an application from the film’s makers, who want the court to stay proceedings in Khan’s suit seeking to restrain the film’s release, The Indian Express and The Times of India reported, citing PTI.

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani issued the notice after producer Amit Jani argued that the dispute over the proposed film substantially overlaps with an earlier personality-rights case filed by the actor. The film is purportedly based on Khan, according to both reports.

Jani’s argument is about duplication. His application says that letting both matters proceed separately would lead to parallel litigation over the same film, its promotional material and the alleged violation of Khan’s personality or publicity rights. According to the plea, Khan had already filed a suit to protect his personality rights, in which the Delhi High Court granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction on Dec. 11, 2025. Khan later moved another application seeking an interim injunction specifically against the proposed film, which the producer says is still pending.

The producer contends that what Khan is asking for in the current case, including restrictions on the release, exhibition and dissemination of the film and its teasers, is substantially similar to the relief he sought in the earlier proceedings.

The fight has already produced one major order. In July, a coordinate bench of the high court directed online platforms to take down the film’s teaser and related posts after Khan objected. The Indian Express reports that the court said the makers could not use the actor’s name, mannerisms and other distinctive attributes for commercial gain without his authorisation, and restrained the spread of material that could harm his reputation. The court noted that social media can make such harm worse because of the “speed, reach and permanence” of digital publications. The Telegraph adds that X, Meta Platforms and Google were directed to remove the relevant URLs if the filmmakers failed to do so within 24 hours.

The two sides tell very different stories about the film. The makers have maintained that “Kala Hiran” is not a biopic of Khan, and have argued that he cannot use personality-rights protection “to erase” public events connected with the blackbuck controversy, according to The Indian Express. The filmmakers had earlier told the court the movie was not ready for release because it had not yet been certified by the censor board.

Khan, for his part, has accused the filmmaker of deliberately trying to “sensationalise” the poaching case to grab attention at the expense of his goodwill and reputation. The Telegraph reports that Khan has said he is not seeking exclusive control over public discussion of the controversy, but objects to the unauthorised commercial use of his identity and recognisable features, including his signature bracelet and ear studs. In an earlier application, he said a poster released on May 29 showed a central character holding a gun despite his acquittal by a Rajasthan court in the Arms Act case, which he argued could create a false impression.

Khan must now file his response before the court weighs both sides’ submissions on the stay request. The court has not yet ruled on the stay request. Follow more Hindi film industry updates on our Bollywood page.

Verification: The notice, the judge’s name, the producer’s arguments and the Dec. 11, 2025, injunction date are reported by The Indian Express (Oct. 6) and The Times of India (Oct. 6), both citing PTI.