'Kala Hiran' Not In Releasable State, Yet to Be Certified: Delhi High Court Records In Salman Khan's Suit

The producer of the proposed film “Kala Hiran: The Battle for Legacy”, stated to be inspired by actor Salman Khan's 1998 blackbuck poaching case, told the Delhi High Court on Thursday (September 10) that the film is not presently in a “releasable state," as its contents are yet to be certified by the Censor Board.

The statement came during a suit filed by Khan, whose counsel told the court that it was his consistent case that the film was about him and that its release would cause him “immense harm.”

The court noted that neither the plaint nor the accompanying application specified when the film was likely to be released. It also noted that there was no agreement on record.

Khan's counsel pointed to material indicating that the makers had themselves said the film would be released in September. He also submitted that while a theatrical release requires censor certification, an OTT release does not.

Appearing through video conference for maker Amit Jani, Advocate Pulkit Agarwal initially said he did not have instructions on when the film would be released.

When the court sought clarification, he said the movie was not in a releasable form and explained that its contents were yet to be certified by the Censor Board. He also said that even the trailer had not been released.

The court recorded the statement that the movie was not in a “releasable state” as its contents were yet to be certified by the Censor Board.

After this, Khan's counsel raised the issue of an OTT release, submitting that OTT platforms do not require Censor Board certification. The court responded, “And on the OTT as well.”

Jani's counsel had also raised objections concerning Section 12A and the jurisdiction of the court. He was granted two weeks to file his reply.

The interim application was listed before the court on September 30, while the suit was listed before the joint registrar on October 1.