Delhi HC orders takedown of Kala Hiran teaser, grants interim relief to Salman Khan

Actor Salman Khan seen in a file photo. | Photo Credit: ANI The Delhi High Court has directed the makers of the proposed film Kala Hiran – The Battle For Legacy to immediately take down its teaser and related promotional content, holding that the material prima facie violated Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s personality rights and was causing irreparable harm to his reputation.Justice Jyoti Singh passed the interim order on July 27 while hearing an application by Mr. Khan in his pending personality rights suit.The application arose from the release of the teaser of the proposed film on July 17, 2026, and its subsequent circulation through press releases, promotional videos, social media posts, YouTube videos, podcasts, and other online and offline content. Mr. Khan alleged that the campaign commercially exploited his personality without his consent.According to the plea, the two-minute teaser unmistakably portrayed Mr. Khan through a fictional character named ‘Ayan Khan’, while incorporating references to his films Dabangg and Sikandar, as well as details linked to the pending blackbuck poaching case.His plea said that the teaser of the proposed film is set entirely within a courtroom, depicting, in a dramatised form, the trial of the actor described as ‘Superstar’ for the alleged killing of a blackbuck, and showcases the examination of witnesses, forensic conclusions, as well as threats and inducements to witnesses.“The impugned teaser is deliberately constructed as an indictment as it expressly asserts that the incident ‘was not an accident’ but the indulgence of a superstar who crushed underfoot the law and sentiments of Bishnoi community,” his plea said.Mr. Khan’s plea argued that the teaser directly impinges on his rights, as the alleged incidents are the subject matter of pending proceedings before the Supreme Court and the Rajasthan High Court.Finding that Mr. Khan had made out a prima facie case, the Court observed that he has a fundamental right to protect his name, likeness and all other attributes of his personality, and that no third party has the right to use these attributes without his consent or authorisation.“Plaintiff [Mr. Khan] has every right to complain that the content of the impugned teaser and/or any other post/video, which uses his personality attributes, must be taken down from public space,” Justice Singh said.The judge said any content that causes harm and damage to Mr. Khan’s “formidable and enviable goodwill and reputation must not continue on any platform as by the minute, it is causing irreparable harm”.The Court restrained the makers of the proposed film from exhibiting, streaming, uploading, hosting, publicising or otherwise disseminating the teaser or accompanying posts across any platform, including social media, websites, OTT services, television, and print media.The Court directed the defendants to remove the content within 24 hours, failing which platforms such as X, Meta, and Google would be required to disable access to the identified URLs upon being informed by Mr. Khan. Published - July 29, 2026 12:35 pm IST