Bollywood actor Salman Khan has issued a legal notice to the creators of the film “Kala Hiran” over alleged personality rights violations.
The lawsuit marks a significant escalation in the actor's efforts to control his public image and likeness. By seeking to halt the film's release and promotion, Khan is challenging the boundary between artistic expression and the unauthorized use of a celebrity's persona.
The legal notice was sent to the film's casting director, Akshay Pandey [1]. Khan, who is 61 years old [1], alleges that the production committed a gross violation of his personality rights through the unauthorized use of his persona [3].
The film is inspired by the 1998 black-buck hunting case in Rajasthan [2]. This case has remained a point of significant legal and public contention for decades, making the cinematic adaptation a sensitive subject for the actor.
According to an NDTV report, the legal notice seeks a halt on the film’s release and promotions over the alleged violation [1]. The actor's legal team said that the use of his likeness without permission constitutes an infringement on his rights.
However, the filmmakers have pushed back against the legal action. Producer Amit Jani said the lawsuit is an attempt to stifle the project.
"This move is intimidation," Jani said [3].
The dispute centers on whether the filmmakers can depict a public figure's involvement in a historical event without explicit consent, or if such a depiction crosses into the territory of personality rights theft. The outcome of this legal battle could set a precedent for how biographical or inspired-by-true-events cinema is produced in India.
“This move is intimidation.”
This case highlights the growing tension in India between the right to free artistic expression and the strengthening legal protections for celebrity 'personality rights.' If the court favors Khan, it may discourage filmmakers from producing content based on the real lives of public figures without securing expensive or restrictive licenses, potentially chilling the production of biographical dramas.
