- Amit Jani received death threats after legal battle with Salman Khan over Kala Hiran film
- Salman Khan sent notice alleging violation of personality rights and defamation in the film
- Legal notice demands halt of Kala Hiran's release and an unconditional apology from makers
Kala Hiran producer Amit Jani has said he has been receiving death threats ever since the film sparked a major legal battle with Salman Khan. Khan sent a legal notice to the makers of Kala Hiran, a film inspired by the 1998 blackbuck case, alleging a "gross violation of personality rights". In a video, Amit Jani addressed the notice he received and said that amid the ongoing controversy he has been told he would be killed if he steps into Mumbai.
Amit Jani said, "Sab pooch rahe hain mujhse - media waale, mitra log - ki Salman Khan se jo notice aayi hai uska kya jawaab dena hai. Yeh notice, kya jawaab doon iss notice ka? Since the past 36 hours, all his fans from Dharavi to Jogeshwari, Fans ne 1000 messages bheje hain, jaan se maarne ki, Mumbai aane pe sar kaatne ki. (People keep asking me — the media, friends — what response should be given to the notice from Salman Khan. This notice, what should I reply to it? For the past 36 hours, all his fans from Dharavi to Jogeshwari, fans have sent 1,000 messages, threats to kill, saying they'll cut my head off if I come to Mumbai.)"
He continued, "Aur ek message toh unki toolkit ke dwara, asli hai ya nakli, pata nahi, 'D company' ke naam se bheja gaya hai. D company jo hai woh chhodengi nahi. Toh main kiska jawaab doon? Salman Khan ki toolkit ke dwara jo hazaaron gaaliyan dilwaayi gayi hai, un dhamkiyon ka jawaab doon ki iss notice ka jawaab doon? Yeh jo aapka notice hai, (tears it apart), yeh hai jawaab. (And one message was sent from their toolkit — whether it's real or fake, I don't know — in the name of 'D Company'. D Company isn't going to let go. So whom should I answer? Should I respond to the thousands of abuses delivered through Salman Khan's toolkit, to those threats, or should I answer this notice? This is my reply to that notice.)"
"Ab aayi aapki dhamkiyaan, woh jo aapki toolkit dene waali hain - jo aapki badtameez fans hain, aur jo aapke Dharavi mein pal rahi gunde hain, ya phir Dongri-Jogeshwari mein rehne waale so-called fans hain - aur jis tareeke ke messages aa rahe hain D company se ki tumhara family ko khatam kar denge, notice ka jawaab aapko mil gaya hai. Abhi hum D company ko dekhenge (Now your threats have arrived — those from the people who gave you your toolkit: your rude fans, the street thugs raised in Dharavi, or the so‑called fans living in Dongri and Jogeshwari — and the kind of messages we're getting from D company saying they'll finish off your family. You've got the reply to that notice. Now we will deal with D company," concluded Amit Jani.
About The Legal Notice
According to the legal notice, issued to Kala Hiran casting director Akshay Pandey, the 61-year-old actor has sought a halt on the film's release and promotions over the project.
The film is directed by Bharat S Shrinate and produced by Amit Jani, the team behind Udaipur Files, a film based on the murder of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Kumar.
Salman Khan's lawyer argued that the black buck case is "presently pending consideration" before the Rajasthan High Court, calling the film "defamatory in nature" and "gross violation of personality rights". In the notice, the lawyer for Salman Khan stated that developing the proposed film amounts to "interference with the administration of justice and directly impinges upon our client's fundamental right to a fair trial".
Salman Khan has "neither authorised nor consented to the use of his name, persona, or the alleged incident associated with him in the proposed film", the notice further read.
According to the notice, Salman Khan has called upon the makers of Kala Hiran to:
1. Immediately cease and desist from developing, producing, publicising, or otherwise proceeding with any film, project, or content that is based on/inspired by/relates to/is identifiable with our client, including but not limited to the proposed film.
2. Tender an unconditional written apology to our client.
If the makers of Kala Hiran fail to comply with the 24 hours of receipt of the legal notice, Salman Khan "shall be constrained to initiate appropriate legal proceedings, both civil and criminal, against you and all concerned".
According to a press release issued by the makers, Kala Hiran promises "a gritty narrative rooted in real-world legal battles and action". The teaser of the film is scheduled to be released on June 20.
In 1998, during the shooting of Hum Saath Saath Hain, Salman Khan was accused of hunting two black bucks in Kankani village of Jodhpur district in Rajasthan.
According to a PTI report, while Salman Khan, the main accused, was sentenced by the chief judicial magistrate's court (Jodhpur district), other actors Saif Ali Khan, Bendre, Tabu, Neelam, and a local Dushyant Singh were acquitted.
Twenty years later, a trial court in Rajasthan convicted Salman Khan and sentenced him to five years' imprisonment on April 5, 2018. He was later released from the Jodhpur jail after being granted bail by a Sessions Court.
In 2022, the Rajasthan High Court allowed the transfer petition of the Salman Khan blackbuck poaching case, which effectively means all the pleas relating to the actor and the poaching case will now be heard in the High Court.
ALSO READ | What Kala Hiran Director Told NDTV Before Salman Khan's Legal Notice: "No One Can Stop Us"