Making derogatory comments on social media against Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and his family has cost filmmaker Abhivin Kashyap a lot. A local court in Mumbai on Friday temporarily restrained Kashyap from publishing any defamatory material or making statements against Salman Khan, his father Salim Khan and brothers (Arbaaz and Sohail Khan).
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The court said that freedom of expression does not mean that anyone can use abusive and threatening words against any person. Judge P.G. Bhosale passed an ex-parte interim injunction order against Kashyap and two others while hearing the defamation suit filed by the actor.
The suit filed in the civil court against Kashyap and several others seeks permanent injunction and damages of Rs 9 crore. Khan initiated the legal action in the wake of a series of 26 video interviews and podcasts released between September and December 2025. The lawsuit claims that Kashyap has made “defamatory, false and defamatory” statements against Khan and his family in these videos.
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Apart from Kashyap, Khushboo Hazare and major social media platforms have also been named in the lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, the videos, aired on the “Bollywood Thikana” channel, contain “derogatory” comments targeting Khan’s professional integrity and personal character, as well as his family members. The lawsuit also mentions instances where Kashyap used offensive descriptions of Khan’s appearance, age and personal life and allegedly compared him to notorious criminals. The petition claims that particularly derogatory comments were made against the actor’s father Salim Khan and brothers Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan.
The suit, filed through advocate Pradeep Gandhi, seeks to permanently restrain the defendants from publishing any defamatory material or interviews in future. It also appealed to direct the defendants and social media platforms to immediately remove all the disputed content and tender an unconditional apology. Khan also moved the court for urgent interim relief. After studying Kashyap’s statements in the interview given on the podcast, the court found them to be “prima facie defamatory, libelous and objectionable”.
The court said that these statements tarnish the image of the plaintiff in the eyes of the general public. It said that the reputation of the plaintiff (Salman) has been damaged by the defendants. The court emphasized that “no one can make defamatory statements against anyone’s family nor should anyone do so”. The court said that every person has the right to protect his privacy and image. On the issue of freedom of expression, the Court clarified that “the right to freedom of speech and expression does not mean that any person can use abusive or threatening language against anyone”.
The court temporarily restrained Kashyap and others from creating, uploading videos, posting, re-posting, giving interviews, corresponding, communicating, uploading, printing, publishing, republishing, broadcasting or recirculating any kind of defamatory/defamatory material.