Following a series of serious allegations levelled against Salman Khan by filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap, the Bombay Civil Court on Friday issued restraining orders barring Kashyap and several others from making or publishing defamatory statements against the actor and his family on any platform.
The order reportedly came after Salman Khan filed a defamation suit against Abhinav Kashyap, Komal Mehru, Khushnoo Hazare, Ashok Kumar (John Doe), and multiple social media platforms.
Court Observations on Freedom of Speech
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According to a report by Free Press Journal, the court observed that freedom of speech does not grant individuals the right to use abusive, threatening, or defamatory language against others. The court further noted that such statements, if left unchecked, could cause irreparable harm to a person’s reputation.
The report added that Salman Khan approached the court after what were described as “scandalous, false, and grossly defamatory” remarks made by Kashyap in several recent interviews.
Salman Khan Seeks Damages and Ban on Interviews
Representing Salman Khan, advocate Pradeep Gandhy requested the court to restrain the airing and publication of the said interviews. The suit also seeks damages amounting to Rs 9 crore for the alleged defamatory statements made against Khan and his family members.
Abhinav Kashyap’s Career Before the Controversy
Before his association with Salman Khan, Abhinav Kashyap had already spent over a decade working in the film industry. He began his career as a writer, contributing to films such as Jung and Yuva. He later wrote dialogues for Manorama Six Feet Under and 13B.
In 2010, Kashyap made his directorial debut with Dabangg. The film launched Sonakshi Sinha, revitalised the masala entertainer genre, and introduced Salman Khan as Chulbul Pandey, a character that went on to become a cultural phenomenon.
Fallout After Dabangg’s Success
Despite the film’s massive success, Kashyap chose not to return as director for Dabangg 2. In an interview with SCREEN, the filmmaker spoke candidly about his experience of working with Salman Khan, making several controversial remarks.
“Salman is never involved. He is not even interested in acting, and he hasn’t been since the last 25 years. He does a favour by turning up to work. He is more into the power of being a celebrity, but he is not interested in acting. He is a gunda (goon). I was not aware of this before Dabangg. Salman badtameez hai, ganda insaan hai (Salman is ill-mannered, he is a bad person),” Kashyap said, adding a remark that later became part of the defamation suit.
