Mishra has made it known he is done with Kala Hiran, labelling it as nothing short of propaganda against a veteran. And at the same time, you have Salman Khan ratcheting up the pressure in a courtroom to block the movie. His leaving the table only stokes the fire in what is shaping up to be a very public contest over a superstar’s name and who gets to tell his tale.
Sonu Mishra’s break with the film
In the beginning, Mishra was under the impression the project would be kind to Khan. He soon found out he was wrong about where the story was going.
“I was to be in the role of Salman Khan. But once I saw the film was set up to besmirch a superstar and the good name of Rajasthan, I couldn’t in good conscience be part of it,” he put it. “It was a case of creative differences, so I made the call to put some distance between myself and the production.”
He says the people behind the film didn’t even put the script in front of him as things were moving along. For him, this is about having a code, not caving to any kind of duress.
And when it comes to talk of being put on the spot by the Bishnois, he is firm. “Don’t get me wrong, there are no threats from my own community. If anything, I’d be glad to make a film on the good they do for society. But this? No.”
For the record, here is what Mishra has put out there as to why he is out:
– A film that puts a star in a bad light is not for him
– He won’t stand for anything that hurts the image of Rajasthan
– He and the makers just didn’t see eye to eye
– He never did get to read the whole script
Why the legal fight escalated
This all goes back to Khan going to the Delhi High Court to put a lid on Kala Hiran – be it for making, selling or showing the film. His side of the house is that a movie based on the 1998 blackbuck poaching is an infringement on his rights and does a number on his standing in the public eye.
Sandeep Sethi, a senior advocate, was at a recent hearing asking for some cover. “He is making a film on my life and has no right to do it. We have an interim injunction we want. They’ve even put out a teaser,” he told the court.
The other side wasn’t having it. They asked for more time to put their case and their lawyer let the court know he had to file an FIR after getting some death threats of his own.
Where the case stands now
The Delhi High Court put off the matter earlier in the month at the behest of the filmmakers’ lawyers. It was pointed out that the director and producer had only just got the papers, so the court told Khan’s team to make sure the full pleadings were in order.
It is before the roster bench on July 1. Mishra is in no rush to opine; he says let the judiciary have its way with the stay application then.
What audiences should watch for
Make no mistake, Kala Hiran is more than your run-of-the-mill trouble-making film. It is a test case for how much leeway you have with a work of art when a well-known person’s life is on the line.
If you are of a mind to consider free speech on one hand and rights on the other, these are the questions at hand:
– Is a star’s identity fair game for a film?
– Do you put publicity ahead of the creative process?
– Will the courts put a hold on the hype before the premiere?
The road ahead
We will have to wait and see what the court has to say. An interim order and the release is on ice; without one, the makers will likely forge on, eyes on the law.
Then there is the rest of the industry to consider. With Mishra’s example, you can expect actors to be a bit more wary of what they sign up for. Any project with a whiff of a real-life row is going to be put through a finer filter these days.
