The Delhi HC Kala Hiran teaser dispute took a significant turn on Monday after the Delhi High Court indicated that it would direct the removal of the teaser of Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy from social media platforms. The court observed that the teaser allegedly depicts actor Salman Khan in connection with the 1998 black buck poaching case, which is still pending before higher courts. Justice Jyoti Singh said that if the producer failed to remove the teaser within 24 hours, the court would issue directions to platforms such as YouTube and X to take down the content. The matter arose from Salman Khan’s plea seeking protection of his personality rights and reputation.
Court says reputation deserves protection
Hearing the Delhi HC Kala Hiran teaser matter, Justice Jyoti Singh expressed strong concern over the content released by the filmmakers. The court remarked that every moment the teaser remained online caused reputational harm to the actor.
The judge also criticised producer Amit Jani’s conduct after Salman Khan alleged that a legal notice sent to the filmmakers was publicly torn during an interview. According to the petition, Jani later claimed on social media that he was being threatened by the actor and the underworld.
The court observed that reputation takes years to build and can be damaged within moments. It also noted that portraying events linked to an ongoing criminal matter could interfere with the judicial process.
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Salman Khan alleges violation of personality rights
The Delhi HC Kala Hiran teaser case centres on Salman Khan’s claim that the movie closely resembles his alleged involvement in the 1998 black buck hunting case. The actor argued that the film poster features a character with his physical appearance and signature bracelet, making it clear that the movie is based on him.
Khan further contended that he has already been acquitted in three of the four criminal cases related to the incident, while the sentence in the remaining case has been suspended. He argued that releasing a film (Kala Hiran) based on pending proceedings could prejudice his right to a fair trial before the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court.
The producers denied that the teaser directly identified Salman Khan or used artificial intelligence or deepfake technology. They maintained that depicting public events did not automatically violate personality rights.
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Social media platforms may also face directions
During the hearing, counsel representing Meta and Google argued that internet intermediaries could not be subjected to pre-publication censorship. However, the court indicated that digital platforms also bear certain responsibilities when hosting disputed content.
Justice Singh directed Salman Khan’s legal team to prepare a detailed list of all allegedly infringing links so that specific takedown orders could be passed.
The Delhi HC Kala Hiran teaser proceedings are expected to continue as the court examines the larger questions surrounding personality rights, reputational harm and the limits of creative expression when criminal proceedings are still pending.
