The controversy surrounding ‘Kala Hiran’, a film said to be inspired by Salman Khan’s 1998 blackbuck poaching case, continues to snowball. After veteran actor Govind Namdev recently alleged that he had been misled by the filmmakers and chose to distance himself from the project, actor Sonu Mmishra has now come forward with similar claims.Mmishra, who was recently seen alongside Salman Khan in ‘Sikandar’, revealed that he was originally cast in the lead role of ‘Kala Hiran’, a character he believes was modelled on Salman. However, he decided to exit the project after just two days of shooting when he allegedly became aware of the makers’ intentions.Mmishra said he initially accepted the film because he thought it would give him the opportunity to portray a character based on the superstar.He said in an interview with YouTube channel Bollywood Crazies, “I was very excited for Kala Hiran. I got the opportunity to play superstar Salman Khan. I had started shooting as well. But when a narrative starts getting built, you realize what the intent of the film is. Being a vocational actor for the past 15-16 years, I wouldn’t like to be a part of such a film. No doubt they have a perspective, but if you depict superstar Salman Khan in a negative way, then I’d rather do other projects.”The actor claimed that although he had already begun filming, he had not yet signed a formal agreement. According to him, concerns arose when he requested the script and contract details.“After two days of shoot, I asked them for the script. Being a lead actor, I asked them to share the script and clauses of the agreement. The makers also realized that they can’t control me. After a lot of delay, they showed me the contract, which stated that I had to talk against Salman to the media as well. So, these things are against my ethics,” he said.Mmishra alleged that a clause in the agreement required him to make statements against Salman Khan in the media, something he found unacceptable and contrary to his professional values.He further claimed that the filmmakers have indirectly acknowledged that the project is aimed at Salman. The actor also questioned producer Amit Jani’s decision to publicly tear up a legal notice reportedly sent regarding the film.“The legal notice they’re tearing, it hasn’t even reached them directly. It’s just to create hype. It’s just made the makers famous. There’s nothing more to it,” he claimed.According to Mmishra, the notice had been issued in April, but the controversy surrounding it gained traction only months later.The latest remarks come shortly after producer Amit Jani alleged 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 reply to it? For the past 36 hours, all his fans, from Dharavi to Jogeshwari, have sent 1,000 messages, including death threats, saying they’ll cut my head off if I come to Mumbai. So, whom should I answer? Should I respond to the thousands of abuses delivered through Salman Khan’s toolkit, to those threats, or should I answer this notice? This is my reply to that notice.”The incident has added another layer to the ongoing debate around ‘Kala Hiran’, which remains under scrutiny for its alleged links to Salman Khan’s long-running blackbuck poaching case.
