A Mumbai court has allowed actor Kangana Ranaut's plea seeking exemption from personal appearance for the day in a criminal defamation complaint filed by lyricist Javed Akhtar, and said it will issue a warrant against her if she fails to appear on the next date of hearing on September 20.

As the matter came up for hearing, Ranaut's lawyer sought that she be exempted from appearance for the day as she was not keeping well. The lawyer submitted a medical certificate before the court and said the actor has been travelling for the promotion of her film and has "developed Covid-19 symptoms".