'How Far Can Personality Rights Be Stretched?' Delhi High Court Questions Salman Khan's Bid To Stall 'Kala Hiran'

"To what extent are we going to stretch these personality rights now?" the bench of Justice Jyoti Singh asked advocate Ravi Prakash today, appearing for Khan, as the actor's case was tested against the prayers actually sought in the application.

Khan had moved court against the makers of "Kala Hiran," a film reportedly inspired by his 1998 blackbuck poaching case and his alleged rivalry with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The plea named the film's director, along with others involved in its production, financing, and distribution.

The court had first issued notice on the interim application on June 12, 2026. At the next hearing on June 19, the Court had deferred consideration of Khan's plea. The matter came up again on July 6, when the bench took up the actor's request for an injunction restraining the film's release, along with a separate prayer to restrain its teaser.

Appearing for Khan, advocate Ravi Prakash argued that the film's makers were seeking to commercially exploit the actor's persona without consent.

The bench, however, pressed him to show a direct link between the film and Khan, rather than a set of inferred traits. Prakash pointed to specific markers he said were associated with Khan, including a bracelet worn at public appearances, and referred to seven interviews given by the film's director that he said acknowledged the film was based on Khan.

The court was not persuaded that these amounted to a legally recognised "likeness." "Somebody wears a bracelet, somebody will wear a turban, tomorrow you will say this is our personalisation," the bench remarked, adding that a cumulative reading of facts would still need to establish a real connection rather than incidental resemblance.

When Prakash sought to extend the argument to items such as earrings and other accessories worn by the film's lead actor, the Court was clear. "And now we are going to restrain personality rights on bracelets and earrings and watches... I can't even fathom an order of that kind," it said, asking him to point to any precedent where a court had restrained the use of jewellery or similar attributes as part of a personality rights claim.

When Prakash sought to rely on interviews and social media posts beyond those cited in the application, the bench cut him off. "I am only going by the application," the Court said, telling counsel that filing an application did not permit its scope to be enlarged later through supplementary material.

The bench also declined to entertain arguments built around a self-recorded video that Khan's side had placed on record, noting that the video's transcript did not itself establish a reference to the plaintiff.

The court has now directed the makers of the film to share with Khan's counsel the videos relied upon in the application so that their authenticity could be verified before further arguments are heard.

The matter has been listed for July 7, 2026, at 2:30 pm.