Director Abhinav Kashyap, who helmed Salman Khan’s blockbuster Dabangg, has suffered a major legal setback. A Mumbai court has temporarily restrained Kashyap from making or publishing any defamatory statements against Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and his family. The order came on Friday after Salman filed a defamation suit against the filmmaker and two others.
Abhinav Kashyap
Abhinav Kashyap Restrained From Making Remarks
According to one of the media houses, Salman Khan has sought a permanent injunction, ₹9 crore in damages, and an unconditional apology from Abhinav Kashyap in his defamation petition. The legal action follows a series of 26 video interviews and podcasts released by Abhinav Kashyap between September and December 2025. In the lawsuit, Salman Khan has alleged that the director made defamatory, false, and highly libelous remarks against him and his family across multiple platforms.
Abhinav Kashyap
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Apart from Abhinav Kashyap, Khushboo Hazare and several social media platforms have also been named as defendants in the case. As per the petition, Abhinav Kashyap allegedly used derogatory and abusive language questioning Salman Khan’s professional integrity, personal character, and even targeting his family members. The suit claims that Kashyap referred to Salman Khan’s family as guilty, criminals and part of a jihadi ecosystem during interviews.
Abhinav Kashyap
The lawsuit also mentions instances where offensive remarks were allegedly made about Salman Khan’s appearance, age, personal life, and that he was even compared to notorious criminals. Similar statements were reportedly directed at Salman’s father Salim Khan and brothers Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan. After examining statements made by Abhinav Kashyap in a podcast interview, the Mumbai court observed that the comments were prima facie defamatory, derogatory, abusive and insulting in nature.
Abhinav Kashyap
The court stated that such remarks tarnish Salman Khan’s image in the eyes of the general public and have caused irreparable harm to his reputation. It further emphasized that “no one can and should make any defamatory statements against anyone’s family.” Addressing the argument of freedom of speech, the court clarified that the right to freedom of speech and expression does not give anyone the liberty to use abusive, derogatory, or threatening language against another individual.