The controversy surrounding ‘Kala Hiran’, a film said to be inspired by Salman Khan’s 1998 blackbuck poaching case, continues to mount. After veteran actor Govind Namdev recently claimed that he was misled by the makers of the film and chose to distance himself from the project, actor Sonu Mamishra has now come forward with similar allegations.Mamishra, who was recently seen alongside Salman Khan in Sikandar, revealed that he was originally playing the lead in Kala Hiran, a character believed to be modeled after Salman. However, he decided to exit the project after only two days of filming when he learned of the filmmakers’ intentions.Mamishra said he initially accepted the film because he thought it would give him the opportunity to portray a character based on the star.In an interview with YouTube channel Bollywood Crazies, he said, “I was very excited for Kala Hiran. I had the opportunity to play superstar Salman Khan. I had started shooting as well. But when the narrative starts building, you realize the point of the film. Being a professional actor for the past 15-16 years, I would not want to be a part of such a film. No doubt they have a point, but if you portray superstar Salman Khan in a negative way, then I would rather do other projects.”
“The actor claimed that although he has already started filming, he is yet to sign an official agreement. According to him, concerns arose when he asked for the text and details of the contract.“After two days of shooting, I asked them for the script. Being a lead actor, I asked them to share the script and the terms of the agreement. The makers also realized that they could not control me. After a lot of delay, they showed me the contract, which stated that I had to speak against Salman to the media as well.
“So these things go against my ethics,” he said.Mamishra claimed that a clause in the agreement required him to make statements against Salman Khan in the media, something he found unacceptable and against his professional values.He further claimed that the makers of the film indirectly admitted that the project is targeting Salman. The actor also questioned the producer
Amit Jani
Decision to tear up the legal notice that was sent out publicly regarding the film.“The legal notice they are tearing up, did not reach them directly. It is just to create hype. It has made its makers famous. There is nothing more than that,” he claimed.According to Mamishra, the notice was issued in April, but the controversy surrounding it gained momentum only months later.The latest statements come shortly after producer Amit Jani claimed that he had received death threats over the film.
In a widely discussed video, Jani tore up the legal notice and responded to the controversy.“This notice, what should I respond to? For the last 36 hours, all his fans, from Dharavi to Jogeshwari, have sent 1,000 messages, including death threats, saying they will behead me if I come to Mumbai. So, who should I answer to? Should I respond to the thousands of violations that have been filed through Salman Khan’s toolkit, to those threats, or should I respond to this notice? This is my response to this notice,” he said.The incident has added another layer to the controversy surrounding ‘Kala Hiran’, which is still under scrutiny due to its alleged links to Salman Khan’s long-running poaching case.