17 June,2026 06:12 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Govind Namdev and Amit Jani. Pics via X
The controversy around Kala Hiran continues to intensify with each passing minute. The film, which is believed to be inspired by the 1998 blackbuck poaching case linked to actor Salman Khan, has attracted a lot of trouble, including legal challenges. Days after actor Govind Namdev claimed that the makers misled him, now producer Amit Jani responded to his claims that he was not told about Kala Hiran's story. The producer stated that the actor has already signed for Kala Hiran 2, the sequel.
Amit Jani told NDTV, "Come on, an actor of that stature was given the entire script and told, 'Read this.' He read it, and before reading the script he read the synopsis. After the synopsis he read the character sketch, and then he read the whole script."
He continued, "After reading the script he stayed with us for five consecutive days; day and night he sat in the vanity area, in his hotel room, reading the script. And when he was performing the role, standing in the courtroom as the lawyer representing the Bishnoi community, did he not know whom he was fighting a case against, whom he wanted to punish? Who is that person standing there with the bracelet, Ayaan Khan - who is he?"
Furthermore, he also mentioned that there is a possibility that some associate of Salman Khan might have "threatened" him.
"Inhe yaa toh dhamki mil gayi hai, Salman Khan ki Shera-Pera ne phone kar diya unko, ki beta tum bahut ucchal rahe ho. Yaa toh phir unko laga ki waha toh paisa le liya, payment ho gaya, cheque mil gaya. Ab mein ek kaam karta hoon, main Salman Khan ka bhi bhala ban jaata hoon. (Some associate of Salman Khan called him and said, 'Boy, you're talking too much' - or he thought, 'I've already taken the payment and the cheque from there, the work is done; now I'll do something to gain Salman Khan's favour.) To make a name, a person whose credibility should have been intact has shown he is spineless. That's why I keep saying: if you are making statements to the media like this, you should first have read the agreement you signed with us," says Amit Jani.
He went on to explain, "The agreement says: you must come when we call you for the project. The agreement says you cannot refuse the remaining continuity shoots. The agreement says you must come to the studio on time for dubbing. The agreement says you must give five days for promotion - that means you must sit in media, on podcasts, on news channels, at premieres and say at least a hundred times, 'I am with this movie.'"
He also stated that according to the agreement, it is paramount that Govind Namdev is present for promotional activities, photoshoots and interviews. "There is also a clause that you must not speak any words or express any sentiment on any platform that would defame the film's production or damage its dignity. You have done everything opposite to what was written in the agreement," said Amit Jani, who earlier sent a notice to the actor.
Further talking about the film's sequel, he says, "Yes, he asked honestly, 'Is this the 1998 Kankani hunting incident? Were two black deer killed?' I said, 'Absolutely, it's that incident. This is the Bishnoi community's fight. From 1998 to 2018 - twenty years - the Bishnoi community fought in court. In that fight you are Mahipal, the lawyer for the Bishnoi community. But in the film, you, as the Bishnoi lawyer, will have to fight against all the lawyers across the country who come on Salman Khan's side - you'll be fighting them alone.'"
The producer recalls, "He said, 'Okay, but this fight can't be contained in one film because your film isn't only a courtroom drama; it's also a crime thriller.' We said, 'For that we will make Kala Hiran 2, a sequel.' He asked, 'Who will you sign for the sequel?' I replied, 'We're compelled to sign the same person who has a cameo in this film. How can we replace him?' He said, 'Sign the agreement for the second film too. If Salman Khan gets punished, then I will be the lawyer who gets him punished.' He was very excited - who will bring Ayaan Khan, meaning Salman Khan, to justice if people's predictions about a conviction come true?' "
Amit Jani adds that Govind told him, "If the High Court hands down a sentence - the Jodhpur High Court hearing is on 13 July in the Rajasthan High Court - and if a sentence is given, who will be the lawyer who got the sentence? That character is mine. So both Kala Hiran and Kala Hiran 2 agreements were signed, money was taken, cheques were taken, and now the same man who reached Mumbai says, 'I didn't even know.' That means the artist lacks ethics; he had no right to talk about the project. Still, he did this, which has caused us great harm."
